ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

James 3.14-16

Book: James · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV (ASV)

"12. Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? Neither can salt water yield sweet. 13. Who is wise and understanding among you? let him show by his good life his works in meekness of wisdom."

"14. But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. 15. This wisdom is not a wisdom that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16. For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed."

"17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy. 18. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace." (James 3:12-18, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"12. Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water. 13. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom."

"14. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth. 15. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. 16. For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed."

"17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." (James 3:12-18, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"12. Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. 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."

"14. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. sensual: or, natural 16. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. confusion: Gr. tumult or unquietness"

"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 without hypocrisy. partiality: or, wrangling 18. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." (James 3:12-18, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"12. is a fig-tree able, my brethren, olives to make? or a vine figs? so no fountain salt and sweet water [is able] to make. 13. Who [is] wise and intelligent among you? let him shew out of the good behaviour his works in meekness of wisdom,"

"14. and if bitter zeal ye have, and rivalry in your heart, glory not, nor lie against the truth; 15. this wisdom is not descending from above, but earthly, physical, demon-like, 16. for where zeal and rivalry [are], there is insurrection and every evil matter;"

"17. and the wisdom from above, first, indeed, is pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of kindness and good fruits, uncontentious, and unhypocritical:, 18. and the fruit of the righteousness in peace is sown to those making peace." (James 3:12-18, YLT)

Setting

  • Speaker: James the Just (the brother of Jesus, head of Jerusalem church)
  • Audience: Jewish Christians in the dispersion
  • Location: Jerusalem (composition)
  • Time period: composed c. AD 45-49 (likely the earliest NT book)

Theological reading

Key words

Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.