James · Modern Greek Bible: Vamvas (1850)
James 3 Modern Greek Bible: Vamvas (1850)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (2)
- The Old Testament is translated from the Hebrew, not from the Septuagint read in the Orthodox Church; there are no deuterocanonical books.
- Katharevousa (learned 19th-century Greek), as in the CrossWire module (text from theword.gr).
1 Μη γίνεσθε πολλοί διδάσκαλοι, αδελφοί μου, εξεύροντες ότι μεγαλητέραν κατάκρισιν θέλομεν λάβει·
1 Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment.
2 διότι εις πολλά πταίομεν άπαντες. Εάν τις δεν πταίη εις λόγον, ούτος είναι τέλειος ανήρ, δυνατός να χαλιναγωγήση και όλον το σώμα.
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 Ιδού, τους χαλινούς βάλλομεν εις τα στόματα των ίππων διά να πείθωνται εις ημάς, και μεταφέρομεν όλον το σώμα αυτών.
3 Indeed, we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, and we guide their whole body.
4 Ιδού, και τα πλοία, όντα τόσον μεγάλα και υπό σφοδρών ανέμων ελαυνόμενα, μεταφέρονται υπό ελαχίστου πηδαλίου, όπου αν θέλη η επιθυμία του κυβερνώντος.
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 Ούτω και η γλώσσα είναι μικρόν μέλος, όμως μεγαλαυχεί. Ιδού, ολίγον πυρ πόσον μεγάλην ύλην ανάπτει·
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 και η γλώσσα πυρ είναι, ο κόσμος της αδικίας. Ούτω μεταξύ των μελών ημών η γλώσσα είναι η μολύνουσα όλον το σώμα και φλογίζουσα τον τροχόν του βίου και φλογιζομένη υπό της γεέννης.
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 Διότι παν είδος θηρίων και πτηνών, ερπετών και θαλασσίων δαμάζεται και εδαμάσθη υπό της ανθρωπίνης φύσεως,
7 For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and sea creature is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind;
8 την γλώσσαν όμως ουδείς των ανθρώπων δύναται να δαμάση· είναι ακράτητον κακόν, μεστή θανατηφόρου φαρμάκου.
8 but nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Δι' αυτής ευλογούμεν τον Θεόν και Πατέρα, και δι' αυτής καταρώμεθα τους ανθρώπους τους καθ' ομοίωσιν Θεού πλασθέντας·
9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in the image of God.
10 εκ του αυτού στόματος εξέρχεται ευλογία και κατάρα. Δεν πρέπει, αδελφοί μου, ταύτα να γίνωνται ούτω.
10 Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
11 Μήπως η πηγή από της αυτής τρύπης αναβρύει το γλυκύ και το πικρόν;
11 Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water?
12 μήπως είναι δυνατόν, αδελφοί μου, η συκή να κάμη ελαίας ή η άμπελος σύκα; ούτως ουδεμία πηγή είναι δυνατόν να κάμη ύδωρ αλμυρόν και γλυκύ.
12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water.
13 Τις είναι μεταξύ σας σοφός και επιστήμων; ας δείξη εκ της καλής διαγωγής τα έργα εαυτού εν πραότητι σοφίας.
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 Εάν όμως έχητε εν τη καρδία υμών φθόνον πικρόν και φιλονεικίαν, μη κατακαυχάσθε και ψεύδεσθε κατά της αληθείας.
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth.
15 Η σοφία αύτη δεν είναι άνωθεν καταβαίνουσα, αλλ' είναι επίγειος, ζωώδης, δαιμονιώδης.
15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic.
16 Διότι όπου είναι φθόνος και φιλονεικία, εκεί ακαταστασία και παν αχρείον πράγμα.
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.
17 Η άνωθεν όμως σοφία πρώτον μεν είναι καθαρά, έπειτα ειρηνική, επιεικής, ευπειθής, πλήρης ελέους και καλών καρπών, αμερόληπτος και ανυπόκριτος.
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 Και ο καρπός της δικαιοσύνης σπείρεται εν ειρήνη υπό των ειρηνοποιών.
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)