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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>James 3 ESV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/james/3.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/james/3-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">ESV</a> > James 3</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../james/2.htm" title="James 2">◄</a> James 3 <a href="../james/4.htm" title="James 4">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">English Standard Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/esv/nas/james/3.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div></a><div class="chap"><p class="heading">Taming the Tongue</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.</p><p class="regular">How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or wheel of birth">a</a></sup></span> and set on fire by hell.<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Greek Gehenna">b</a></sup></span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or brothers and sisters; also verse 12">c</a></sup></span> these things ought not to be so. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.</p> <p class="heading">Wisdom from Above</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/james/3-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="footnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">6</span> Or <i>wheel of birth</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">b</span> <span class="fnverse">6</span> Greek <i language="Greek">Gehenna</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">c</span> <span class="fnverse">10</span> Or <i><span class="catch-word">brothers</span> and sisters</i>; also verse 12<br /></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">ESV Text Edition® (2016).<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by <a href="http://www.crossway.org/home/esv/">Crossway Bibles</a>, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. 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