James 3

1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
1 Μὴ πολλοὶ διδάσκαλοι γίνεσθε, ἀδελφοί μου, εἰδότες ὅτι μεῖζον κρίμα ληψόμεθα.
WH λημψόμεθα·
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
2 Πολλὰ γὰρ πταίομεν ἅπαντες. Εἴ τις ἐν λόγῳ οὐ πταίει, οὗτος τέλειος ἀνήρ, δυνατὸς χαλιναγωγῆσαι καὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα.
3 Behold
ℵ ⟨For behold⟩
, we put bits in the horses' mouths
A ⟨mouth⟩
, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
3 Ἴδε,
WH εἰ δὲ
 τῶν ἵππων τοὺς χαλινοὺς εἰς τὰ στόματα βάλλομεν πρὸς
WH εἰς
 τὸ πείθεσθαι αὐτοὺς ἡμῖν, καὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα αὐτῶν μετάγομεν.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
4 Ἰδού, καὶ τὰ πλοῖα, τηλικαῦτα ὄντα, καὶ ὑπὸ [+]
WH ἀνέμων
 σκληρῶν ἀνέμων
WH omit
 ἐλαυνόμενα, μετάγεται ὑπὸ ἐλαχίστου πηδαλίου, ὅπου ἂν
WH omit
 ἡ ὁρμὴ τοῦ εὐθύνοντος βούληται.
WH βούλεται·
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire
ℵBA2 ⟨fire, how much wood it⟩
 kindleth!
5 Οὕτως καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα μικρὸν μέλος ἐστίν, καὶ μεγαλαυχεῖ
WH μεγάλα αὐχεῖ
. Ἰδού, ὀλίγον
WH ἡλίκον
 πῦρ ἡλίκην ὕλην ἀνάπτει.
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
ℵ ⟨The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity is the tongue amongst our members, both defiling the whole body, and setting on fire the course of our nature, and is set on fire of hell.⟩; BA ⟨And the tongue is a fire; a world of iniquity is the tongue amongst our members, defiling the whole body, and setting on fire the course of the nature, and is set on fire of hell.⟩
6 Καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα πῦρ, ὁ κόσμος τῆς ἀδικίας· οὕτως
WH omit
 ἡ γλῶσσα καθίσταται ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν, ἡ σπιλοῦσα ὅλον τὸ σῶμα, καὶ φλογίζουσα τὸν τροχὸν τῆς γενέσεως, καὶ φλογιζομένη ὑπὸ τῆς γεέννης.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and
A omit
 of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
7 Πᾶσα γὰρ φύσις θηρίων τε καὶ πετεινῶν, ἑρπετῶν τε καὶ ἐναλίων, δαμάζεται καὶ δεδάμασται τῇ φύσει τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ·
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly
ℵBA ⟨unstable⟩
 evil, full of deadly poison.
8 τὴν δὲ γλῶσσαν οὐδεὶς [+]
WH δαμάσαι
 δύναται ἀνθρώπων δαμάσαι· ἀκατάσχετον
WH ἀκατάστατον
 κακόν, μεστὴ ἰοῦ θανατηφόρου.
9 Therewith bless we God
ℵBA ⟨the Lord⟩
, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
9 Ἐν αὐτῇ εὐλογοῦμεν τὸν θεὸν
WH κύριον
 καὶ πατέρα, καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ καταρώμεθα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοὺς καθ’ ὁμοίωσιν θεοῦ γεγονότας·
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
10 ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ στόματος ἐξέρχεται εὐλογία καὶ κατάρα. Οὐ χρή, ἀδελφοί μου, ταῦτα οὕτως γίνεσθαι.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
11 Μήτι ἡ πηγὴ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὀπῆς βρύει τὸ γλυκὺ καὶ τὸ πικρόν;
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and
ℵ ⟨so neither can salt water yield⟩; BA ⟨neither can salt water yield⟩
 fresh.
12 Μὴ δύναται, ἀδελφοί μου, συκῆ ἐλαίας ποιῆσαι, ἢ ἄμπελος σῦκα; Οὕτως οὐδεμία πηγὴ
WH οὔτε
 ἁλυκὸν καὶ
WH omit
 γλυκὺ ποιῆσαι ὕδωρ.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
13 Τίς σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιστήμων ἐν ὑμῖν; Δειξάτω ἐκ τῆς καλῆς ἀναστροφῆς τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἐν πρᾳΰτητι σοφίας.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth
ℵ ⟨boast not against the truth and lie not⟩
.
14 Εἰ δὲ ζῆλον πικρὸν ἔχετε καὶ ἐριθείαν
WH ἐριθίαν
 ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν, μὴ κατακαυχᾶσθε καὶ ψεύδεσθε κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
15 Οὐκ ἔστιν αὕτη ἡ σοφία ἄνωθεν κατερχομένη, ἀλλ’
WH ἀλλὰ
 ἐπίγειος, ψυχική, δαιμονιώδης.
16 For where envying and strife is, there
ℵA ⟨there also⟩
 is confusion and every evil work.
16 Ὅπου γὰρ ζῆλος καὶ ἐριθεία
WH ἐριθία
, ἐκεῖ ἀκαταστασία καὶ πᾶν φαῦλον πρᾶγμα.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and
ℵBA omit
 without hypocrisy.
17 Ἡ δὲ ἄνωθεν σοφία πρῶτον μὲν ἁγνή ἐστιν, ἔπειτα εἰρηνική, ἐπιεικής, εὐπειθής, μεστὴ ἐλέους καὶ καρπῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἀδιάκριτος καὶ
WH omit
 ἀνυπόκριτος.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
18 Καρπὸς δὲ τῆς
WH omit
 δικαιοσύνης ἐν εἰρήνῃ σπείρεται τοῖς ποιοῦσιν εἰρήνην.
James 2
James 4
About the Greek Text

The Greek text displayed here follows The New Testament in the Original Greek: Byzantine Textform, edited by Maurice A. Robinson and William G. Pierpont (2nd ed., 2018). This has been collated, however, with the Greek text of Westcott and Hort (first published in 1881), and the variants are recorded in the notes.