James 3-4 - LSB - Legacy Standard Bible

James 3-4

The Tongue Is a Fire

^aDo not, many of you, become teachers, ^bmy brothers, knowing that we will receive a ¹stricter judgment. 2 For we all ^astumble in many ways. ^bIf anyone does not stumble in ¹what he says, he is a ^cperfect man, able to ^dbridle the entire body as well. 3 Now ^aif we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot wills. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it ^aboasts of great things.
^bBehold how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And ^athe tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which ^bdefiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our ¹existence, and is set on fire by ²^chell. 7 For every kind of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of ^adeadly poison. 9 With it we bless ^aour Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, ^bwho have been made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a fountain pour forth from the same opening ¹fresh and bitter water? 12 ^aCan a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can saltwater produce ¹fresh.

Wisdom from Above

13 Who among you is wise and understanding? ^aLet him show by his ^bgood conduct his works in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter ^ajealousy and ¹selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against ^bthe truth. 15 This wisdom is not coming down ^afrom above, but is ^bearthly, ¹^cnatural, ^ddemonic. 16 For where ^ajealousy and ¹selfish ambition exist, ²there is disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom ^afrom above is first ^bpure, then ^cpeaceable, ^dconsiderate, submissive, ^efull of mercy and good fruits, ^fwithout doubting, without ^ghypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness ^ais sown in peace ¹by those who make peace.

Draw Near to God

¹What is the source of quarrels and ^aconflicts among you? ²Is not the source your pleasures that wage ^bwar in your members? 2 You lust and do not have, so you ^amurder. You are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and ^ado not receive, because you ask ¹with wrong motives, so that you may spend it ²on your pleasures. 4 You ^aadulteresses, do you not know that friendship with ^bthe world is ^cenmity toward God? ^dTherefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world sets himself as an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture ^aspeaks to no purpose: “¹He ²jealously desires ^bthe Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? 6 But ^aHe gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “^bGod is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 ^aBe subject therefore to God. ^bResist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 ^aDraw near to God and He will draw near to you. ^bCleanse your hands, you sinners, and ^cpurify your hearts, you ^ddouble-minded. 9 ^aBe miserable and mourn and cry. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 ^aHumble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
11 ^aDo not slander one another, ^bbrothers. He who slanders a brother or ^cjudges his brother, slanders ^dthe law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not ^ea doer of the law but a judge of it. 12 There is only one ^aLawgiver and Judge, the One who is ^bable to save and to destroy. But ^cwho are you who judge your neighbor?

Life Is a Vapor

13 ^aCome now, you who say, “^bToday or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 ¹Yet you do not know ²what your life will be like tomorrow. ^aYou are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 ¹Instead, you ought to say, “^aIf the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your ¹arrogance. ^aAll such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, ^ato one who knows to do the ¹right thing and does not do it, to him it is sin.