James 3 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Be not many teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive greater judgment.
1 Μὴ πολλοὶ διδάσκαλοι γίνεσθε, ἀδελφοί μου, εἰδότες ὅτι μεῖζον κρῖμα ληψόμεθα·
2 For we all often offend. If any one offend not in word, he [is] a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body too.
2 πολλὰ γὰρ πταίομεν ἅπαντες. εἴ τις ἐν λόγῳ οὐ πταίει, οὗτος τέλειος ἀνήρ, δυνατὸς χαλιναγωγῆσαι καὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα.
3 Behold, we put the bits in the mouths of the horses, that they may obey us, and we turn round their whole bodies.
3 ἴδε τῶν ἵππων τοὺς χαλινοὺς εἰς τὰ στόματα βάλλομεν πρὸς τὸ πείθεσθαι αὐτοὺς ἡμῖν, καὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα αὐτῶν μετάγομεν.
4 Behold also the ships, which are so great, and driven by violent winds, are turned about by a very small rudder, wherever the pleasure of the helmsman will.
4 ἰδοὺ καὶ τὰ πλοῖα, τηλικαῦτα ὄντα καὶ ὑπὸ σκληρῶν ἀνέμων ἐλαυνόμενα, μετάγεται ὑπὸ ἐλαχίστου πηδαλίου ὅπου ἂν ἡ ὁρμὴ τοῦ εὐθύνοντος βούληται.
5 Thus also the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how little a fire, how large a wood it kindles!
5 οὕτω καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα μικρὸν μέλος ἐστὶ καὶ μεγαλαυχεῖ. ἰδοὺ ὀλίγον πῦρ ἡλίκην ὕλην ἀνάπτει!
6 and the tongue [is] fire, the world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set in our members, the defiler of the whole body, and which sets fire to the course of nature, and is set on fire of hell.
6 καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα πῦρ, ὁ κόσμος τῆς ἀδικίας. οὕτως ἡ γλῶσσα καθίσταται ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν ἡ σπιλοῦσα ὅλον τὸ σῶμα καὶ φλογίζουσα τὸν τροχὸν τῆς γενέσεως καὶ φλογιζομένη ὑπὸ τῆς γεέννης.
7 For every species both of beasts and of birds, both of creeping things and of sea animals, is tamed and has been tamed by the human species;
7 πᾶσα γὰρ φύσις θηρίων τε καὶ πετεινῶν ἑρπετῶν τε καὶ ἐναλίων δαμάζεται καὶ δεδάμασται τῇ φύσει τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ,
8 but the tongue can no one among men tame; [it is] an unsettled evil, full of death-bringing poison.
8 τὴν δὲ γλῶσσαν οὐδεὶς δύναται ἀνθρώπων δαμάσαι· ἀκατάσχετον κακόν, μεστὴ ἰοῦ θανατηφόρου.
9 Therewith bless we the Lord and Father, and therewith curse we men made after [the] likeness of God.
9 ἐν αὐτῇ εὐλογοῦμεν τὸν Θεὸν καὶ πατέρα, καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ καταρώμεθα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοὺς καθ᾽ ὁμοίωσιν Θεοῦ γεγονότας·
10 Out of the same mouth goes forth blessing and cursing. It is not right, my brethren, that these things should be thus.
10 ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ στόματος ἐξέρχεται εὐλογία καὶ κατάρα. οὐ χρή, ἀδελφοί μου, ταῦτα οὕτω γίνεσθαι.
11 Does the fountain, out of the same opening, pour forth sweet and bitter?
11 μήτι ἡ πηγὴ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὀπῆς βρύει τὸ γλυκὺ καὶ τὸ πικρόν;
12 Can, my brethren, a fig produce olives, or a vine figs? Neither [can] salt [water] make sweet water.
12 μὴ δύναται, ἀδελφοί μου, συκῆ ἐλαίας ποιῆσαι ἢ ἄμπελος σῦκα; οὕτως οὐδεμία πηγὴ ἁλυκὸν καὶ γλυκὺ ποιῆσαι ὕδωρ.
13 Who [is] wise and understanding among you; let him shew out of a good conversation his works in meekness of wisdom;
13 Τίς σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιστήμων ἐν ὑμῖν; δειξάτω ἐκ τῆς καλῆς ἀναστροφῆς τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἐν πραΰτητι σοφίας.
14 but if ye have bitter emulation and strife in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
14 εἰ δὲ ζῆλον πικρὸν ἔχετε καὶ ἐριθείαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν, μὴ κατακαυχᾶσθε καὶ ψεύδεσθε κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας.
15 This is not the wisdom which comes down from above, but earthly, natural, devilish.
15 οὐκ ἔστιν αὕτη ἡ σοφία ἄνωθεν κατερχομένη, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπίγειος, ψυχική, δαιμονιώδης.
16 For where emulation and strife [are], there [is] disorder and every evil thing.
16 ὅπου γὰρ ζῆλος καὶ ἐριθεία, ἐκεῖ ἀκαταστασία καὶ πᾶν φαῦλον πρᾶγμα.
17 But the wisdom from above first is pure, then peaceful, gentle, yielding, full of mercy and good fruits, unquestioning, unfeigned.
17 ἡ δὲ ἄνωθεν σοφία πρῶτον μὲν ἁγνή ἐστιν, ἔπειτα εἰρηνική, ἐπιεικής, εὐπειθής, μεστὴ ἐλέους καὶ καρπῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἀδιάκριτος καὶ ἀνυπόκριτος.
18 But [the] fruit of righteousness in peace is sown for them that make peace.
18 καρπὸς δὲ [τῆς] δικαιοσύνης ἐν εἰρήνῃ σπείρεται τοῖς ποιοῦσιν εἰρήνην.
Cross references (16)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Timothy 1:7; Luke 12:47–48; 1 Peter 5:3; Matthew 23:13; 1 Corinthians 12:28
- 2 James 1:26; Proverbs 13:3; 1 Peter 3:10; Matthew 12:37; Psalm 34:13
- 3 Psalm 32:9; Psalm 39:1; James 1:26; 2 Kings 19:28
- 4 Matthew 8:24; Psalm 107:25–27; Acts 27:14–38
- 5 Proverbs 18:21; Proverbs 12:18; Jeremiah 9:3–8; Proverbs 15:2; Psalm 17:10
- 6 Psalm 120:2–3; Proverbs 16:27; Mark 7:15; Matthew 15:11–20; Proverbs 15:1
- 8 Romans 3:13; Psalm 140:3; Psalm 55:21; James 3:6; Psalm 57:4
- 9 Psalm 10:7; Genesis 1:26–27; Genesis 9:6; Psalm 62:4; Psalm 59:12
- 10 Romans 12:14; 1 Peter 3:9; 1 Corinthians 3:3; Psalm 50:16–20; 1 Timothy 5:13
- 12 Luke 6:43–44; Matthew 12:33; Matthew 7:16–20; Jeremiah 2:21; Romans 11:16–18
- 13 Galatians 5:23; James 3:17; Matthew 5:5; Colossians 3:12; 1 Peter 2:12
- 14 James 3:16; 1 Corinthians 13:4; Philippians 2:3; 1 Corinthians 3:3; Romans 13:13
- 15 James 3:17; James 1:17; 1 Corinthians 3:19; Philippians 3:19; 1 Corinthians 2:14
- 16 James 3:14; 1 Corinthians 3:3; 1 Corinthians 14:33; 1 John 3:12; Galatians 5:20
- 17 Galatians 5:22–23; Proverbs 2:6; 1 Corinthians 13:4–7; James 3:15; Romans 12:9
- 18 Matthew 5:9; Hosea 10:12; Philippians 1:11; Isaiah 32:16–17; Galatians 6:8
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
"I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?" At times I read and hear: "My brethren, be not many masters, seeing that ye shall receive the greater condemnation: for in many things we offend all." "I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?" But see, I rise and open.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)