Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible
THE MESSAGE
James 3:10
This verse is not available in the MSG!
Jump to:Bible Study Tools • Parallel Bible Verse • Bible Contextual Overview • Bible Cross-References • Gill's Bible Notes • Clarke's Bible Notes • Barnes' Bible Notes
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- BridgewayEncyclopedias:
- CondensedDevotionals:
- DailyParallel Translations
Christian Standard Bible®
Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.
Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.
King James Version (1611)
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing: my brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing: my brethren, these things ought not so to be.
King James Version
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
English Standard Version
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
New American Standard Bible
from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.
from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.
New Century Version
Praises and curses come from the same mouth! My brothers and sisters, this should not happen.
Praises and curses come from the same mouth! My brothers and sisters, this should not happen.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.
from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.
Berean Standard Bible
Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be!
Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be!
Complete Jewish Bible
Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing! Brothers, it isn't right for things to be this way.
Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing! Brothers, it isn't right for things to be this way.
Darby Translation
Out of the same mouth goes forth blessing and cursing. It is not right, my brethren, that these things should be thus.
Out of the same mouth goes forth blessing and cursing. It is not right, my brethren, that these things should be thus.
Easy-to-Read Version
These praises and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen.
These praises and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Out of one mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing: my brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Out of one mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing: my brethren, these things ought not so to be.
George Lamsa Translation
Out of the same mouth proceed curses and blessings. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Out of the same mouth proceed curses and blessings. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Good News Translation
Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen!
Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen!
Lexham English Bible
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so!
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so!
Literal Translation
Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, it is not fitting for these things to be so.
Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, it is not fitting for these things to be so.
Amplified Bible
Out of the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. These things, my brothers, should not be this way [for we have a moral obligation to speak in a manner that reflects our fear of God and profound respect for His precepts].
Out of the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. These things, my brothers, should not be this way [for we have a moral obligation to speak in a manner that reflects our fear of God and profound respect for His precepts].
American Standard Version
out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Bible in Basic English
Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, it is not right for these things to be so.
Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, it is not right for these things to be so.
Hebrew Names Version
Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
International Standard Version
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. It should not be like this, my brothers!
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. It should not be like this, my brothers!
Etheridge Translation
and from the same mouth go forth curses and blessings. My brethren, it is not fit that these should so be done.
and from the same mouth go forth curses and blessings. My brethren, it is not fit that these should so be done.
Murdock Translation
and from the same mouth, proceed curses and blessings. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
and from the same mouth, proceed curses and blessings. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Out of one mouth proceadeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these thynges ought not so to be.
Out of one mouth proceadeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these thynges ought not so to be.
English Revised Version
out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
World English Bible
Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Weymouth's New Testament
Out of the same mouth there proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be.
Out of the same mouth there proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Of the same mouth passith forth blessing and cursing. My britheren, it bihoueth not that these thingis be don so.
Of the same mouth passith forth blessing and cursing. My britheren, it bihoueth not that these thingis be don so.
Update Bible Version
out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
Webster's Bible Translation
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
New English Translation
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters.
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters.
New King James Version
Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
New Living Translation
And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!
And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!
New Life Bible
Giving thanks and speaking bad words come from the same mouth. My Christian brothers, this is not right!
Giving thanks and speaking bad words come from the same mouth. My Christian brothers, this is not right!
New Revised Standard
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Out of the same mouth, come forth blessing and cursing! Not meet, my brethren, for, these things, thus, to be coming to pass!
Out of the same mouth, come forth blessing and cursing! Not meet, my brethren, for, these things, thus, to be coming to pass!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Revised Standard Version
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so.
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Out of one mouth proceadeth blessynge and cursynge. My brethren these thinges ought not so to be.
Out of one mouth proceadeth blessynge and cursynge. My brethren these thinges ought not so to be.
Young's Literal Translation
out of the same mouth doth come forth blessing and cursing; it doth not need, my brethren, these things so to happen;
out of the same mouth doth come forth blessing and cursing; it doth not need, my brethren, these things so to happen;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Out of one mouth proceadeth blessynge and cursynge. My brethre these thinges ought not so to be.
Out of one mouth proceadeth blessynge and cursynge. My brethre these thinges ought not so to be.
Mace New Testament (1729)
from the same mouth shall blessing and cursing proceed? this ought not to be practis'd, my brethren;
from the same mouth shall blessing and cursing proceed? this ought not to be practis'd, my brethren;
Simplified Cowboy Version
Ain't no reason in the world why blessings and curses should come out of the same hole in your face.
Ain't no reason in the world why blessings and curses should come out of the same hole in your face.
Contextual Overview
1Don't be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends. Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards. And none of us is perfectly qualified. We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life. 3A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue—it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you? Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom—it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats. Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. 6When You Open Your Mouth Don't be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends. Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards. And none of us is perfectly qualified. We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life. A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. 7This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue—it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you? Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom—it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats. Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. 11When You Open Your Mouth Don't be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends. Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards. And none of us is perfectly qualified. We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life. A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue—it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you? Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom—it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats. Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. 12When You Open Your Mouth Don't be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends. Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards. And none of us is perfectly qualified. We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life. A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue—it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
of: Psalms 50:16-20, Jeremiah 7:4-10, Micah 3:11, Romans 12:14, 1 Peter 3:9
these: Genesis 20:9, 2 Samuel 13:12, 1 Corinthians 3:3, 1 Timothy 5:13
Reciprocal: Genesis 34:7 - thing Leviticus 4:2 - which ought Numbers 23:13 - and curse me Deuteronomy 22:9 - shalt not sow Job 31:30 - mouth Jeremiah 6:7 - a fountain Luke 6:28 - Bless Luke 9:55 - Ye know Romans 3:14 - General 1 Timothy 3:8 - doubletongued
Cross-References
Genesis 3:7
Immediately the two of them did "see what's really going on"—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves.
Immediately the two of them did "see what's really going on"—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves.
Genesis 3:17
He told the Man: "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree That I commanded you not to eat from, ‘Don't eat from this tree,' The very ground is cursed because of you; getting food from the ground Will be as painful as having babies is for your wife; you'll be working in pain all your life long. The ground will sprout thorns and weeds, you'll get your food the hard way, Planting and tilling and harvesting, sweating in the fields from dawn to dusk, Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried; you started out as dirt, you'll end up dirt."
He told the Man: "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree That I commanded you not to eat from, ‘Don't eat from this tree,' The very ground is cursed because of you; getting food from the ground Will be as painful as having babies is for your wife; you'll be working in pain all your life long. The ground will sprout thorns and weeds, you'll get your food the hard way, Planting and tilling and harvesting, sweating in the fields from dawn to dusk, Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried; you started out as dirt, you'll end up dirt."
Exodus 3:6
Then he said, "I am the God of your father: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob." Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God.
Then he said, "I am the God of your father: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob." Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God.
Exodus 32:25
Moses saw that the people were simply running wild—Aaron had let them run wild, disgracing themselves before their enemies. He took up a position at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is on God 's side, join me!" All the Levites stepped up.
Moses saw that the people were simply running wild—Aaron had let them run wild, disgracing themselves before their enemies. He took up a position at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is on God 's side, join me!" All the Levites stepped up.
Isaiah 57:11
"Who talked you into the pursuit of this nonsense, leaving me high and dry, forgetting you ever knew me? Because I don't yell and make a scene do you think I don't exist? I'll go over, detail by detail, all your ‘righteous' attempts at religion, and expose the absurdity of it all. Go ahead, cry for help to your collection of no-gods: A good wind will blow them away. They're smoke, nothing but smoke. "But anyone who runs to me for help will inherit the land, will end up owning my holy mountain!"
"Who talked you into the pursuit of this nonsense, leaving me high and dry, forgetting you ever knew me? Because I don't yell and make a scene do you think I don't exist? I'll go over, detail by detail, all your ‘righteous' attempts at religion, and expose the absurdity of it all. Go ahead, cry for help to your collection of no-gods: A good wind will blow them away. They're smoke, nothing but smoke. "But anyone who runs to me for help will inherit the land, will end up owning my holy mountain!"
Revelation 16:15
"Keep watch! I come unannounced, like a thief. You're blessed if, awake and dressed, you're ready for me. Too bad if you're found running through the streets, naked and ashamed."
"Keep watch! I come unannounced, like a thief. You're blessed if, awake and dressed, you're ready for me. Too bad if you're found running through the streets, naked and ashamed."
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing,.... Which is not only a contradiction, but unnatural, as well as wicked and sinful:
my brethren, these things ought not so to be: in any, and much less in professors of religion: such things are unbecoming men, are a scandal upon human nature, and exceeding unworthy of the Christian name; see Psalms 50:16.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing - The meaning here may be, either that out of the mouth of man two such opposite things proceed, not referring to the same individual, but to different persons; or, out of the mouth of the same individual. Both of these are true; and both are equally incongruous and wrong. No organ should be devoted to uses so unlike, and the mouth should be employed in giving utterance only to that which is just, benevolent, and good. It is true, however, that the mouth is devoted to these opposite employments; and that while one part of the race employ it for purposes of praise, the other employ it in uttering maledictions. It is also true of many individuals that at one time they praise their Maker, and then, with the same organ, calumniate, and slander, and revile their fellow-men. After an act of solemn devotion in the house of God, the professed worshipper goes forth with the feelings of malice in his heart, and the language of slander, detraction, or even blasphemy on his lips.
My brethren, these things ought not so to be - They are as incongruous as it would be for the same fountain to send forth both salt water and fresh; or for the same tree to bear different kinds of fruit.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 10. Out of the same mouth — This saying is something like that, Proverbs 18:21: Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and on this, for an illustration of St. James' words, hear Vayikra Rabba, sec. 33: "Rabbi Simeon, the son of Gamaliel, said to his servant Tobias, Go and bring me some good food from the market: the servant went, and he bought tongues. At another time he said to the same servant, Go and buy me some bad food: the servant went, and bought tongues. The master said, What is the reason that when I ordered thee to buy me good and bad food, thou didst bring tongues? The servant answered, From the tongue both good and evil come to man: if it be good, there is nothing better; if bad, there is nothing worse."
A saying very like that of St. James as found in Rabbi Tanchum, fol. 10, 4: "The mouth desires to study in the law, and to speak good words; to praise God, to glorify him, and to celebrate him with hymns: but it can also slander, blaspheme, reproach, and swear falsely." See Schoettgen.
To find a man who officiates in sacred things to be a common swearer, a slanderer, c., is truly monstrous but there have been many cases of this kind, and I have known several. Let me say to all such, My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
