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Monday, November 25th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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New Living Translation

James 3:14

But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Envy;   Righteousness;   Strife;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bitterness;   Envy;   Strife;   Unity-Strife;   The Topic Concordance - Confusion;   Envy;   Evil;   Strife;   Wisdom;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Envy;   Strife;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Heart;   Jealousy;   Wisdom;   World;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Envy;   Fool, Foolishness, Folly;   Heart;   Hypocrisy;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - James, the General Epistle of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Heart;   James, the Letter;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Envy;   Hosea;   James, Epistle of;   Jealousy;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Bitterness ;   Boasting;   Envy;   Jealousy;   Truth;   Zeal (2);   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Wisdom;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bitter;   Emulation;   Envy;   Jealousy;   Truth;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for May 12;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
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.
Revised Standard Version
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
But Yf ye have bitter envyinge and stryfe in youre hertes reioyce not: nether be lyars agaynst the trueth.
Hebrew Names Version
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and don't lie against the truth.
New American Standard Bible
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
New Century Version
But if you are selfish and have bitter jealousy in your hearts, do not brag. Your bragging is a lie that hides the truth.
Update Bible Version
But if you have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, don't glory and don't lie against the truth.
Webster's Bible Translation
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
English Standard Version
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.
World English Bible
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and don't lie against the truth.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But if ye have bitter zeal and strife in your hearts, do not glory and lie against the truth.
Weymouth's New Testament
But if in your hearts you have bitter feelings of envy and rivalry, do not speak boastfully and falsely, in defiance of the truth.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
That if ye han bitter enuye, and stryuyngis ben in youre hertis, nyle ye haue glorye, and be lyeris ayens the treuthe.
English Revised Version
But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth.
Berean Standard Bible
But if you harbor in your hearts bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, do not boast in it or deny the truth.
Contemporary English Version
But if your heart is full of bitter jealousy and selfishness, don't brag or lie to cover up the truth.
Amplified Bible
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant, and [as a result] be in defiance of the truth.
American Standard Version
But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth.
Bible in Basic English
But if you have bitter envy in your heart and the desire to get the better of others, have no pride in this, talking falsely against what is true.
Complete Jewish Bible
But if you harbor in your hearts bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, don't boast and attack the truth with lies!
Darby Translation
but if ye have bitter emulation and strife in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
International Standard Version
But if you have bitter jealousy and rivalry in your hearts, stop boasting and lying against the truth.Romans 2:17,23; 13:13;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
But if you have bitter envy among yourselves, or contention be in your hearts, be not inflated against the truth, nor lie;
Murdock Translation
But if bitter envy be in you, or contention in your hearts, exalt not yourselves against the truth, and lie not.
King James Version (1611)
But if ye haue bitter enuying and strife in your hearts glory not, and lie not against the trueth.
New Life Bible
If you have jealousy in your heart and fight to have many things, do not be proud of it. Do not lie against the truth.
New Revised Standard
But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But if ye haue bitter enuying and strife in your hearts, reioyce not, neither be liars against the trueth.
George Lamsa Translation
But if you have bitter envying among you, or strife in your hearts, do not boast and do not lie against the truth.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, if, bitter jealousy, ye have, and rivalry, in your hearts; be not boasting and showing yourselves false against the truth!
Douay-Rheims Bible
But if you have bitter zeal, and there be contention in your hearts: glory not and be not liars against the truth.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But yf ye haue bitter enuiyng & strife in your hearte, glorie not, neither be lyers agaynst the trueth.
Good News Translation
But if in your heart you are jealous, bitter, and selfish, don't sin against the truth by boasting of your wisdom.
Christian Standard Bible®
But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth.
King James Version
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
Lexham English Bible
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth.
Literal Translation
But if you have bitter jealousy and contention in your heart, do not boast and lie against the truth.
Young's Literal Translation
and if bitter zeal ye have, and rivalry in your heart, glory not, nor lie against the truth;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But yf ye haue bitter enuyenge and stryfe in yor hertes, reioyce not: nether be lyars agaynst the trueth.
Mace New Testament (1729)
but if envy and contention imbitter your minds, don't think your false pretences can stand against the truth:
New English Translation
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth.
New King James Version
But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
Simplified Cowboy Version
But if your way is riddled with bitter jealousy and always lookin' out only for yourself, don't go around braggin' and lyin' about who you really are.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.

Contextual Overview

13 If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if: James 3:16, James 4:1-5, Genesis 30:1, Genesis 30:2, Genesis 37:11, Job 5:2, Proverbs 14:30, Proverbs 27:4, Isaiah 11:13, Habakkuk 1:3, Matthew 27:18, Acts 5:17, Acts 7:9, Acts 13:45, Romans 1:29, Romans 13:13, 1 Corinthians 3:3, 1 Corinthians 13:4, 2 Corinthians 12:20, Galatians 5:15, Galatians 5:21, Galatians 5:26, Philippians 1:15, Philippians 2:3, 1 Timothy 6:4, Titus 3:3, 1 Peter 2:1, 1 Peter 2:2

glory: Romans 2:17, Romans 2:23-29, 1 Corinthians 4:7, 1 Corinthians 4:8, 1 Corinthians 5:2, 1 Corinthians 5:6, Galatians 6:13

and lie: 2 Kings 10:16, 2 Kings 10:31, John 16:2, Acts 26:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 38:9 - lest that Exodus 1:9 - the people Numbers 11:29 - Enviest 2 Samuel 19:9 - strife 2 Samuel 19:43 - the words 1 Kings 12:14 - My father made 2 Chronicles 10:14 - My father Psalms 31:20 - the strife Psalms 37:8 - Cease Proverbs 6:19 - that soweth Proverbs 13:10 - Only Proverbs 15:18 - wrathful Proverbs 16:28 - froward Proverbs 17:14 - leave Proverbs 17:19 - loveth Proverbs 20:3 - but Jeremiah 9:23 - wise Zechariah 11:14 - I cut Matthew 18:35 - from Matthew 20:24 - they Mark 9:50 - have peace Mark 15:10 - for envy Luke 9:54 - wilt John 3:26 - he that John 12:11 - General Acts 23:10 - fearing Galatians 5:19 - Adultery Ephesians 4:31 - bitterness Philippians 2:14 - disputings Colossians 2:18 - fleshly Colossians 3:8 - anger Colossians 3:19 - bitter James 4:16 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, "Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?"
Genesis 3:15
And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."
Genesis 3:20
Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live.
Genesis 9:6
If anyone takes a human life, that person's life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image.
Leviticus 20:25
"You must therefore make a distinction between ceremonially clean and unclean animals, and between clean and unclean birds. You must not defile yourselves by eating any unclean animal or bird or creature that scurries along the ground. I have identified them as being unclean for you.
Psalms 72:9
Desert nomads will bow before him; his enemies will fall before him in the dust.
Isaiah 29:4
Then deep from the earth you will speak; from low in the dust your words will come. Your voice will whisper from the ground like a ghost conjured up from the grave.
Isaiah 65:25
The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. But the snakes will eat dust. In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain. I, the Lord , have spoken!"
Micah 7:17
Like snakes crawling from their holes, they will come out to meet the Lord our God. They will fear him greatly, trembling in terror at his presence.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts,.... Though these may not be expressed by words, or actions: envy at the happiness of others, whether at the external blessings of Providence, as riches and honours, or at the internal endowments of their minds, as their wisdom and knowledge, their parts and abilities, is a root of bitterness in the heart, which bears wormwood and gall, and produces bitter effects in the persons in whom it is; it embitters their minds against their neighbours and friends; it is rottenness in their bones, and slays and destroys those who are so silly as to be governed by it; and also in the persons the objects of it; for who can stand before it? and strife in the mind, or an intention to strive end quarrel with others, who are the objects of envy, is very sinful, and of pernicious consequence: and if these be fomented and cherished in the minds and breasts of men, though they may not outwardly show themselves, yet

glory not; let not such boast of their being Gnostics, wise men, and endued with knowledge; they are far from deserving such a character; and such boasting is contrary to truth, yea, is lying against it, as follows:

and lie not against the truth; for, for a man to assert himself to be a wise and knowing man, and yet cherishes bitterness in his heart, and quarrelling and contention in his mind, arising from envy, at the equal or superior knowledge of others, he lies both against the truth of God's word and his own conscience, which condemn such things as ignorance, folly, and madness.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts - If that is your characteristic. There is reference here to a fierce and unholy zeal against each other; a spirit of ambition and contention.

Glory not - Do not boast, in such a case, of your qualifications to be public teachers. Nothing would render you more unfit for such an office than such a spirit.

And lie not against the truth - You would lie against what is true by setting up a claim to the requisite qualifications for such an office, if this is your spirit. Men should seek no office or station which they could not properly seek if the whole truth about them were known.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 14. If ye have bitter envying and strife — If ye be under the influence of an unkind, fierce, and contemptuous spirit, even while attempting or pretending to defend true religion, do not boast either of your exertions or success in silencing an adversary; ye have no religion, and no true wisdom, and to profess either is to lie against the truth. Let all writers on what is called polemic (fighting, warring) divinity lay this to heart. The pious Mr. Herbert gives excellent advice on this subject: -

"Be calm in arguing, for fierceness makes

Error a fault, and truth discourtesy;

Why should I feel another man's mistakes

More than his sickness or his poverty?

In love I should; but anger is not love,

Nor wisdom neither; therefore g-e-n-t-l-y m-o-v-e."


 
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