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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Douay-Rheims Bible

James 3:16

For where envying and contention is: there is inconstancy and every evil work.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Envy;   Minister, Christian;   Righteousness;   Strife;   Thompson Chain Reference - Evil;   Quietness-Tumult;   Strife;   Tumults;   Unity-Strife;   Works;   The Topic Concordance - Confusion;   Envy;   Evil;   Strife;   Wisdom;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Envy;   Strife;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Jealousy;   Wisdom;   Work;   World;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Envy;   Fool, Foolishness, Folly;   Hypocrisy;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Contentment;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - James, the General Epistle of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - James, the Letter;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Envy;   Hosea;   James, Epistle of;   Jealousy;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Envy;   Jealousy;   Zeal (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - 42 Evil Wicked;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Confusion;   Emulation;   Envy;   James, Epistle of;   Jealousy;   Wisdom;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for May 12;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice.
King James Version (1611)
For where enuying and strife is, there is confusion, and euery euill worke.
King James Version
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
English Standard Version
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
New American Standard Bible
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
New Century Version
Where jealousy and selfishness are, there will be confusion and every kind of evil.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
Berean Standard Bible
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.
Contemporary English Version
Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things.
Complete Jewish Bible
For where there are jealousy and selfish ambition, there will be disharmony and every foul practice.
Darby Translation
For where emulation and strife [are], there [is] disorder and every evil thing.
Easy-to-Read Version
Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there will be confusion and every kind of evil.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For where enuying and strife is, there is sedition, and all maner of euill workes.
George Lamsa Translation
For wherever envy and strife are, there is confusion and every sort of evil.
Good News Translation
Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil.
Lexham English Bible
For where there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice.
Literal Translation
For where jealousy and contention are , there is confusion and every foul deed.
Amplified Bible
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder [unrest, rebellion] and every evil thing and morally degrading practice.
American Standard Version
For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed.
Bible in Basic English
For where envy is, and the desire to get the better of others, there is no order, but every sort of evil-doing.
Hebrew Names Version
For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.
International Standard Version
For wherever jealousy and rivalry exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil.1 Corinthians 3:3; Galatians 5:20;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
For where there are envy and contention, there also are tumult and every thing that is evil.
Murdock Translation
For where envy and contention are, there also is confusion, and every thing wrong.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For where enuiyng and strife is, there is sedition & all maner of euyll workes.
English Revised Version
For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed.
World English Bible
For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For where bitter zeal and strife is, there is unquietness and every evil work.
Weymouth's New Testament
For where envy and rivalry are, there also are unrest and every vile deed.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For where is enuye and strijf, there is vnstidfastnesse and al schrewid werk.
Update Bible Version
For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed.
Webster's Bible Translation
For where envying and strife [is], there [is] confusion and every evil work.
New English Translation
For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice.
New King James Version
For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
New Living Translation
For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
New Life Bible
Wherever you find jealousy and fighting, there will be trouble and every other kind of wrong-doing.
New Revised Standard
For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, where jealousy and rivalry are, there, are anarchy and every ignoble deed.
Revised Standard Version
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For where envyinge and stryfe is there is stablenes and all maner of evyll workes.
Young's Literal Translation
for where zeal and rivalry [are], there is insurrection and every evil matter;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For where enuyenge and stryfe is, there is vnstablenes and all maner of euell workes.
Mace New Testament (1729)
where false zeal, and a spirit of contention reign, there confusion and every vice prevail.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Where there's a cowboy ridin' in selfishness and jealousy, there's a cougar in the calvin' pen.

Contextual Overview

13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge, among you? Let him shew, by a good contestation, his work in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter zeal, and there be contention in your hearts: glory not and be not liars against the truth. 15 For this is not wisdom, descending from above: but earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and contention is: there is inconstancy and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above, first indeed is chaste, then peaceable, modest, easy to be persuaded, consenting to the good, full of mercy and good fruits, without judging, without dissimulation. 18 And the fruit of justice is sown in peace, to them that make peace.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

where: James 3:14, 1 Corinthians 3:3, Galatians 5:20

there: Genesis 11:9, *marg. Acts 19:29, 1 Corinthians 14:33

confusion: Gr. tumult, or, unquietness

every: 1 John 3:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 13:7 - a strife Genesis 38:9 - lest that Judges 9:49 - put them Judges 12:1 - we will burn Proverbs 29:22 - a furious Zechariah 11:14 - I cut Matthew 5:9 - are Matthew 13:27 - whence Mark 3:25 - General Romans 12:18 - General 1 Peter 2:1 - envies

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtle than any of the beasts of the earth which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman: Why hath God commanded you, that you should not eat of every tree of paradise?
Genesis 3:6
And the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and fair to the eyes, and delightful to behold: and she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave to her husband, who did eat.
Genesis 3:7
And the eyes of them both were opened: and when they perceived themselves to be naked, they sewed together fig leaves, and made themselves aprons.
Genesis 3:8
And when they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in paradise at the afternoon air, Adam and his wife hid themselves from the face of the Lord God, amidst the trees of paradise.
Genesis 3:9
And the Lord God called Adam, and said to him: Where art thou?
Genesis 3:10
And he said: I heard thy voice in paradise; and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.
Genesis 3:11
And he said to him: And who hath told thee that thou wast naked, but that thou hast eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat?
Genesis 3:12
And Adam said: The woman, whom thou gavest me to be my companion, gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
Genesis 3:16
To the woman also he said: I will multiply thy sorrows, and thy conceptions: in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children, and thou shalt be under thy husband’s power, and he shall have dominion over thee.
Genesis 3:17
And to Adam he said: Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee, that thou shouldst not eat, cursed is the earth in thy work: with labour and toil shalt thou eat thereof all the days of thy life.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ver. 16 For where envying and strife is,.... Where these are cherished in the heart, and especially where they break out into action, in families, neighbourhoods, states, or churches:

there is confusion and every evil work; these occasion disturbances, raise uneasiness, make disquietude, and cause tumults whenever they appear; and put persons upon doing everything that is wicked, to gratify such insatiable lusts.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion - Margin, tumult or unquietness. Everything is unsettled and agitated. There is no mutual confidence; there is no union of plan and effort; there is no co-operation in promoting a common object; there is no stability in any plan; for a purpose, though for good, formed by one portion, is defeated by another.

And every evil work - Of the truth of this no one can have any doubt who has observed the effects in a family or neighborhood where a spirit of strife prevails. All love and harmony of course are banished; all happiness disappears; all prosperity is at an end. In place of the peaceful virtues which ought to prevail, there springs up every evil passion that tends to mar the peace of a community. Where this spirit prevails in a church, it is of course impossible to expect any progress in divine things; and in such a church any effort to do good is vain.

“The Spirit, like a peaceful dove,

Flies from the realms of noise and strife.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 16. For where envying and strife is] ζηλοςκαιεριθεια. Zeal-fiery, inflammatory passion, and contention-altercations about the different points of the law, of no use for edification, such as those mentioned, Titus 3:9. The Jews were the most intolerant of all mankind; it was a maxim with them to kill those who would not conform to their law; and their salvation they believed to be impossible. This has been the spirit of Popery, and of the Romish Church at large; in vain do they attempt to deny it; they have written it in characters of blood and fire even in this country, (England,) when they were possessed of political power. With them it is still an established maxim, that out of their Church there is no redemption; and fire and faggot have been in that Church legal means of conversion or extinction. In the short popish reign of Mary in this country, besides multitudes who suffered by fine, imprisonment, confiscation, c., two hundred and seventy-seven were burnt alive, among whom were one archbishop, four bishops, twenty-one clergymen, eight lay gentlemen, eighty-four tradesmen, one hundred husbandmen, fifty-five women, and four children! O earth! thou hast not drunk their blood but their ashes have been strewed on the face of the field.


 
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