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 Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment.
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 For we all stumble in many things. Anyone who doesn’t stumble in word is a perfect person, able to bridle the whole body also.
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 Indeed, we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, and we guide their whole body.
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 Behold, the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds, are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires.
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 So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest!
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 And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.
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 For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and sea creature is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind;
8 but the tongue can no one among men tame; [it is] an unsettled evil, full of death-bringing poison.
8 but nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we the Lord and Father, and therewith curse we men made after [the] likeness of God.
9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in the image of God.
10 Out of the same mouth goes forth blessing and cursing. It is not right, my brethren, that these things should be thus.
10 Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
11 Does the fountain, out of the same opening, pour forth sweet and bitter?
11 Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water?
12 Can, my brethren, a fig produce olives, or a vine figs? Neither [can] salt [water] make sweet water.
12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water.
13 Who [is] wise and understanding among you; let him shew out of a good conversation his works in meekness of wisdom;
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom.
14 but if ye have bitter emulation and strife in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth.
15 This is not the wisdom which comes down from above, but earthly, natural, devilish.
15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic.
16 For where emulation and strife [are], there [is] disorder and every evil thing.
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.
17 But the wisdom from above first is pure, then peaceful, gentle, yielding, full of mercy and good fruits, unquestioning, unfeigned.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 But [the] fruit of righteousness in peace is sown for them that make peace.
18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
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)