And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!
Parallel translations
- WEB Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
- KJV Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
- BSB Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be!
- NKJV Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
- NASB from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Blessing and cursing should not come from the same mouth. Such double-tongued speech is unfitting for God's people.
Overview
James states plainly that this inconsistency ought not to exist among believers. The mixing of praise and cursing contradicts the wholehearted devotion God desires, echoing the letter's concern with double-mindedness. Transformed lives should yield consistent, life-giving speech that honors both God and neighbor.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Rom 12:14Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse.
- 1 Pet 3:9not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult; but instead blessing; knowing that to this were you called, that you may inherit a blessing.
- Ps 50:16–20But to the wicked God says, “What right do you have to declare my statutes, that you have taken my covenant on your lips,
- 1 Cor 3:3for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly, and don’t you walk in the ways of men?
- 1 Tim 5:13Besides, they also learn to be idle, going about from house to house. Not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.
- Mic 3:11Her leaders judge for bribes, and her priests teach for a price, and her prophets of it tell fortunes for money: yet they lean on Yahweh, and say, “Isn’t Yahweh among us? No disaster will come on us.”
- Jer 7:4–10Don’t trust in lying words, saying, ‘Yahweh’s temple, Yahweh’s temple, Yahweh’s temple, are these.’
- Gen 20:9Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done!”
- 2 Sam 13:12She answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me! For no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Don’t you do this folly.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The wisdom from above and the royal law of love are the life of those who belong to 'our glorious Lord Jesus Christ' — faith in him made visible in works.
How James 3:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.