James 3 - Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Controlling the Things We Say

3 My brothers and sisters, not many of you should be teachers. I say this because, as you know, we who teach will be judged more strictly than others.

2 We all make many mistakes. A person who never said anything wrong would be perfect. Someone like that would be able to control their whole body too. 3 We put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us. With these bits we can control their whole body. 4 It is the same with ships. A ship is very big, and it is pushed by strong winds. But a very small rudder controls that big ship. And the one who controls the rudder decides where the ship will go. It goes where he wants it to go. 5 It is the same with our tongue. It is a small part of the body, but it can boast about doing great things.

A big forest fire can be started with only a little flame. 6 The tongue is like a fire. It is a world of evil among the parts of our body. It spreads its evil through our whole body and starts a fire that influences all of life. It gets this fire from hell.

7 Humans have control over every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have controlled all these things. 8 But no one can control the tongue. It is wild and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people who were created in God’s likeness. 10 These praises and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen. 11 Do good water and bad water flow from the same spring? Of course not. 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree make olives? Or can a grapevine make figs? No, and a well full of salty water cannot give good water.

True Wisdom

13 Are there any among you who are really wise and understanding? Then you should show your wisdom by living right. You should do what is good with humility. A wise person does not boast. 14 If you are selfish and have bitter jealousy in your hearts, you have no reason to boast. Your boasting is a lie that hides the truth. 15 That kind of “wisdom” does not come from God. That “wisdom” comes from the world. It is not spiritual. It is from the devil. 16 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there will be confusion and every kind of evil. 17 But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. 18 People who work for peace in a peaceful way get the blessings that come from right living.

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James 3 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

3 Many teachers become not, my brethren, having known that greater judgment we shall receive, 2 for we all make many stumbles; if any one in word doth not stumble, this one [is] a perfect man, able to bridle also the whole body; 3 lo, the bits we put into the mouths of the horses for their obeying u...
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James 3 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

3 My brethren, do not ye be made many masters, witting that ye take the more doom. 2 For all we offend in many things. If any man offendeth not in word, this is a perfect man; for also he may lead about all the body with a bridle [forsooth he may with a bridle lead about all the body]. 3 For if we ...
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James 3 - Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

3 My brothers, not many of you should be teachers. You know that we who teach will be punished more than other people. 2 We all do many wrong things. Any man who never says anything wrong is right in every way. He is able to make his whole body do what is right. 3 We put a piece of iron in the mouth...
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James 3 - World English Bible (WEB)

3 Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment. 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 Indeed, we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, an...
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James 3 - The Voice (VOICE)

3 My brothers and sisters, do not encourage a large number of you to become teachers because teachers will be held to a higher standard. 2 We all stumble along the way. If a person never speaks hurtful words or shouts in anger or profanity, then he has achieved perfection. The one who can control h...
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James 3 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Dangerous Tongue3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, since you know that we will receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. 3 And if we put bits int...
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James 3 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Taming the Tongue3 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all make many mistakes, and if any one makes no mistakes in what he says he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. 3 If we put bits i...
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James 3 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Taming the Tongue3 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all make many mistakes, and if any one makes no mistakes in what he says he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. 3 If we put bits i...
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James 3 - Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)

3 My brothers, do not let many of you become instructors, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we all sin. If anyone does not sin in word, he is a perfect man and able to bridle his whole body. 3 Behold, we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will ob...
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James 3 - New Testament for Everyone (NTE)

Taming the Tongue3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters; you know that we will be judged more severely. 2 All of us make many mistakes, after all. If anyone makes no mistakes in what they say, such a person is a fully complete human being, capable of keeping firm control ...
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James 3 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Taming the Tongue3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters,[a] for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. ...
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James 3 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Taming the Tongue3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters,[a] for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. ...
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James 3 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Taming the Tongue3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will face stricter judgment.(A)2 For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is mature,[a] able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle.(B)3 If we p...
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James 3 - New Matthew Bible (NMB)

What good and evil comes through the tongue. The duty of the learned. The difference between the wisdom of the gospel and the wisdom of the world. 3 My brethren, be not every man a counsellor, remembering that we will receive the stricter judgment. 2 For in many things, we all sin.If a person does ...
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James 3 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Controlling the Tongue3 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way...
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James 3 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Power of the Tongue3 My Christian brothers, not many of you should become teachers. If we do wrong, it will be held against us more than other people who are not teachers. 2 We all make many mistakes. If anyone does not make a mistake with his tongue by saying the wrong things, he is a perfect ...
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James 3 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Untamable Tongue3 My brethren, (A)let not many of you become teachers, (B)knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For (C)we all stumble in many things. (D)If anyone does not stumble in word, (E)he is a [a]perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 [b]Indeed, (F)we put bits...
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