James 3:14
New International Version
But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.

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

English Standard Version
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.

Berean Standard Bible
But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth.

Berean Literal Bible
But if you have bitter jealousy and self-interest in your heart, do not boast of it and lie against the truth.

King James Bible
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not 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.

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.

NASB 1995
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.

NASB 1977
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.

Legacy Standard Bible
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against 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.

Christian Standard Bible
But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t brag and deny the truth.

American Standard Version
But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against 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.

English Revised Version
But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But if you are bitterly jealous and filled with self-centered ambition, don't brag. Don't say that you are wise when it isn't true.

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.

International Standard Version
But if you have bitter jealousy and rivalry in your hearts, stop boasting and slandering the truth.

Majority Standard Bible
But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth.

NET Bible
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth.

New Heart English Bible
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not boast and do not 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.

Weymouth 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.

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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
yet, if you have bitter zeal, and rivalry in your heart, do not glory, nor lie against the truth;

Berean Literal Bible
But if you have bitter jealousy and self-interest in your heart, do not boast of it 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;

Smith's Literal Translation
And if ye have bitter envy and intrigue in your heart, boast not, and lie not against the truth.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But if you have bitter zeal, and there be contentions in your hearts; glory not, and be not liars against the truth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But if you hold a bitter zeal, and if there is contention in your hearts, then do not boast and do not be liars against the truth.

New American Bible
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.

New Revised Standard Version
But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But if you have bitter envying among you, or strife in your hearts, do not boast and do not lie against the truth.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But if you have bitter envy or contention in your hearts, do not be puffed up against the truth and lie.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

Godbey New Testament
But if you have bitter envy and strife in your heart, do not boast, and lie against the truth.

Haweis New Testament
But if ye have bitter envy and contention in your heart, boast not, and lie not against the truth.

Mace New Testament
but if envy and contention imbitter your minds, don't think your false pretences can stand against the truth:

Weymouth 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.

Worrell New Testament
But, if ye have bitter jealousy and contention in your heart, do not boast and lie against the truth.

Worsley New Testament
but if ye have bitter envy and strife in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Wisdom from Above
13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth. 15Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.…

Cross References
Proverbs 14:30
A tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

Galatians 5:19-21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; / idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, / and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 3:3
for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?

Romans 13:13
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

1 Peter 2:1
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.

Philippians 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.

1 John 3:15
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.

Matthew 5:22
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.

1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

2 Corinthians 12:20
For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

Ephesians 4:31
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.

Colossians 3:8
But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Titus 3:3
For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

Genesis 4:5-8
but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell. / “Why are you angry,” said the LORD to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen? / If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.” ...

Numbers 16:1-3
Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath son of Levi, along with some Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—conducted / a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 men of Israel renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly. / They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have taken too much upon yourselves! For everyone in the entire congregation is holy, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”


Treasury of Scripture

But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

if.

James 3:16
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

James 4:1-5
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? …

Genesis 30:1,2
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die…

glory.

Romans 2:17,23
Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, …

1 Corinthians 4:7,8
For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? …

1 Corinthians 5:2,6
And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you…

and lie.

2 Kings 10:16,31
And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot…

John 16:2
They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

Acts 26:9
I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

Jump to Previous
Ambition Arrogant Better Bitter Boast Boastfully Defiance Deny Desire Emulation Envy Envying Falsely Feelings Glory Harbor Heart Hearts Jealousy Lie Others Pride Rivalry Selfish Speak Strife Talking True. Truth Zeal
Jump to Next
Ambition Arrogant Better Bitter Boast Boastfully Defiance Deny Desire Emulation Envy Envying Falsely Feelings Glory Harbor Heart Hearts Jealousy Lie Others Pride Rivalry Selfish Speak Strife Talking True. Truth Zeal
James 3
1. We are not rashly or arrogantly to reprove others;
5. but rather to bridle the tongue, a little member,
9. but a powerful instrument of much good, and great harm.
13. The truly wise are mild and peaceable, without envy and strife.














But if you harbor
The phrase "harbor" suggests a deliberate act of holding onto or nurturing something within oneself. In the Greek, the word used is "echō," which means to have or hold. This implies an intentional choice to keep these negative emotions alive. In a conservative Christian perspective, this is a call to self-examination, urging believers to be vigilant about what they allow to take root in their hearts. The heart, in biblical terms, is the center of one's being, encompassing mind, will, and emotions.

bitter jealousy
The term "bitter" comes from the Greek "pikros," which denotes something sharp or pungent. "Jealousy" is translated from "zēlos," which can mean zeal or fervor but in this context refers to an envious and resentful attitude. Historically, jealousy has been a destructive force, leading to division and strife, as seen in the accounts of Cain and Abel or Joseph and his brothers. The Bible consistently warns against jealousy, as it is contrary to the love and unity that should characterize the Christian community.

and selfish ambition
"Selfish ambition" is translated from the Greek "eritheia," which originally referred to a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means. This term suggests a divisive, self-centered attitude that seeks personal gain at the expense of others. In the early church, such attitudes were particularly dangerous, threatening the unity and witness of the Christian community. The conservative Christian view emphasizes humility and service to others, following the example of Christ, who came not to be served but to serve.

in your hearts
The "heart" in biblical language is more than just the seat of emotions; it is the core of one's identity and decision-making. The Greek word "kardia" encompasses thoughts, intentions, and desires. The heart is where true character is formed, and thus, harboring negative traits like jealousy and ambition can corrupt one's entire being. Scripture often calls for a pure heart, one that is aligned with God's will and purposes.

do not boast in it
"Boast" comes from the Greek "katakauchaomai," meaning to glory against or to exult over. This implies a sense of pride or arrogance in one's negative traits. The Bible consistently warns against pride, which is seen as the root of many sins. Boasting in sin is a denial of the transformative power of the Gospel, which calls believers to humility and repentance.

or deny the truth
To "deny" is from the Greek "pseudomai," meaning to lie or speak falsely. "The truth" refers to the reality of God's word and the moral and ethical standards it sets forth. Denying the truth is akin to living in hypocrisy, claiming to follow Christ while harboring attitudes and behaviors contrary to His teachings. In a conservative Christian context, this is a call to integrity and authenticity, living in a way that reflects the truth of the Gospel in every aspect of life.

(14) But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts.--Rather, it should be, bitter zeal and party-spirit. "Above all no zeal" was the worldly caution of an astute French prelate. But that against which the Apostle inveighed had caused Jerusalem to run with blood, and afterwards helped in her last hour to add horror upon shame. The Zealots were really assassins, pledged to any iniquity; such were the forty men "who bound themselves under a curse, saying they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul" (Acts 23:12; see Note there). Some of these desperadoes unluckily escaped the swords of the Romans, and fled to the fastnesses of Mount Lebanon. They were probably the nucleus of a still more infamous society, known in the middle ages as that of the Old Man of the Mountain; in fact, our word "assassin" comes from "Hassan," their first sheik. Happily for humanity they were at length exterminated by the Turks.

Glory not.--Boast not yourselves as partakers of this accursed zeal; behold already what ruin it is bringing on us as a nation and a Church. And it were well to take care even in these milder days of religious factions, that the strife of creeds be wholly different in kind from the old zealot feuds, and not merely in degree. Able only to rend and overthrow, party-spirit will, if it be gloried and exulted in, lay down the walls of Zion "even to the ground." But "if any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy" (1Corinthians 3:17), and the words must be translated much more sternly, "If any man destroy . . ."

Lie not against the truth.--This is not tautology, nor a Hebraism, but of far deeper import. "What is truth?" said jesting Pilate (John 18:38), and, as Bacon remarks in his Essay on Truth, he would not stay for an answer. Probably he put a question familiar to himself, learned in a certain school of knowledge whose wise conclusion was that mankind could not tell; and the inquirer turned away, unwitting that before him stood the incarnate Truth itself. The world of unbelief repeats the careless utterance of the Roman Governor, and holds with him in its new Agnosticism; and to its self-assurance and pride of life He, Who can only be learned in the doing of His will (John 7:17), is alike unknowable and unknown. But the words of the Apostle have a mournful significance for the ignorant of God; and a terrible one for the Christian who knows and sins against the Light. Falsehood is not the hurt of some abstract virtue, or bare rule of right and wrong, but a direct blow at the living Truth (John 14:6), Who suffered and still "endures such contradiction of sinners against Himself" (Hebrews 12:3). As the fault of Judas was double--personal treachery against his Friend and Master, and a wider attack on Christ, the Truth manifest in the flesh--so in a like two-fold manner we smite at once God and our brother when we speak or act a lie. All faintest shades of falsehood tend to the dark one of a fresh betrayal of the Son of Man if they be conceived against others, while if they be wrought only to shield ourselves, we are. as Montaigne observed, "brave before God, and cowards before men," who are as the dust of His feet. . . .

Verse 14. - Bitter envying, Ζῆλος in itself may be either good or bad, and therefore πικρόν is added to characterize it. Bishop Lightfoot (on Galatians 5:20) points out that "as it is the tendency of Christian teaching to exalt the gentler qualities and to depress their opposites, ζῆλος falls in the scale of Christian ethics (see Clem. Romans, §§ 4-6), while ταπεινότης, for instance, rises." It may, perhaps, be an incidental mark of early date that St. James finds it necessary to characterize ζῆλος as πικρόν. Where St. Paul joins it with ἐριθείαι and ἔρις there is no qualifying adjective (Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 3:3; 2 Corinthians 12:20; Galatians 5:20). (On the distinction between ζῆλος and φθόνος, both of which are used by St. James, see Archbishop Trench on 'Synonyms,' § 26.). Strife (ἐριθείαν); better, party spirit, or faction (cf. Romans 2:8; 2 Corinthians 12:20; Galatians 5:20; Philippians 1:17; Philippians 2:3). The A.V. "strife" comes from a wrong derivation, as if ἐριθεία were connected with ἔρις, whereas it really comes from ἔριθος, a hired laborer, and so signifies

(1) working for hire;

(2) the canvassing of hired partisans; and

(3) factiousness in general (see Lightfoot on Galatians 5:20). Glory not; i.e. glory not of your wisdom, a boast to which your whole conduct thus gives the lie.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

if
εἰ (ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

you {harbor}
ἔχετε (echete)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

your
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

hearts
καρδίᾳ (kardia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2588: Prolonged from a primary kar; the heart, i.e. the thoughts or feelings; also the middle.

bitter
πικρὸν (pikron)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4089: Bitter, acrid, malignant. Perhaps from pegnumi; sharp, i.e. Acrid.

jealousy
ζῆλον (zēlon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2205: From zeo; properly, heat, i.e. 'zeal' (figuratively, of God), or an enemy, malice).

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

selfish ambition,
ἐριθείαν (eritheian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2052: Perhaps as the same as erethizo; properly, intrigue, i.e. faction.

{do} not
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

boast [in it]
κατακαυχᾶσθε (katakauchasthe)
Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2620: To boast against, exult over. From kata and kauchaomai; to exult against.

or
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

deny
ψεύδεσθε (pseudesthe)
Verb - Present Imperative Middle - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 5574: To deceive, lie, speak falsely. Middle voice of an apparently primary verb; to utter an untruth or attempt to deceive by falsehood.

the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

truth.
ἀληθείας (alētheias)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 225: From alethes; truth.


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NT Letters: James 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy (Ja Jas. Jam)
James 3:13
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