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Easy-to-Read Version

James 3:16

Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there will be confusion and every kind of evil.

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.
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.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For where envying and contention is: there is inconstancy and every evil work.
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 Are there any among you who are really wise and understanding? Then you should show your wisdom by living right. You should do what is good with humility. A wise person does not boast. 14 If you are selfish and have bitter jealousy in your hearts, you have no reason to boast. Your boasting is a lie that hides the truth. 15 That kind of "wisdom" does not come from God. That "wisdom" comes from the world. It is not spiritual. It is from the devil. 16 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there will be confusion and every kind of evil. 17 But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. 18 People who work for peace in a peaceful way get the blessings that come from right living.

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
The snake was the most clever of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. The snake spoke to the woman and said, "Woman, did God really tell you that you must not eat from any tree in the garden?"
Genesis 3:6
The woman could see that the tree was beautiful and the fruit looked so good to eat. She also liked the idea that it would make her wise. So she took some of the fruit from the tree and ate it. Her husband was there with her, so she gave him some of the fruit, and he ate it.
Genesis 3:7
Then it was as if their eyes opened, and they saw things differently. They saw that they were naked. So they got some fig leaves, sewed them together, and wore them for clothes.
Genesis 3:8
During the cool part of the day, the Lord God was walking in the garden. The man and the woman heard him, and they hid among the trees in the garden.
Genesis 3:9
The Lord God called to the man and said, "Where are you?"
Genesis 3:10
The man said, "I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid. I was naked, so I hid."
Genesis 3:11
God said to the man, "Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from that special tree? I told you not to eat from that tree!"
Genesis 3:12
The man said, "The woman you put here with me gave me fruit from that tree. So I ate it."
Genesis 3:16
Then God said to the woman, "I will cause you to have much trouble when you are pregnant. And when you give birth to children, you will have much pain. You will want your husband very much, but he will rule over you."
Genesis 3:17
Then God said to the man, "I commanded you not to eat from that tree. But you listened to your wife and ate from it. So I will curse the ground because of you. You will have to work hard all your life for the food the ground produces.

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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