The Hurtful Tongue
(James 3:1–12)
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
Hear, O God, my voice of complaint; Psa 143:1-3Psa 34:4Lam 3:55-56Psa 130:1-2Psa 140:1Psa 141:1Act 27:24Psa 31:13-15
preserve my life from dread of the enemy.
Hide me from the scheming of the wicked, Psa 109:2-3Psa 143:9Psa 31:20Psa 59:2Jer 11:19Psa 27:5Isa 32:2Jer 18:23
from the mob of workers of iniquity,
who sharpen their tongues like swords Jas 3:6-8Jer 9:3Psa 57:4Psa 58:7Isa 54:17Pro 12:18Psa 11:2Pro 30:14
and aim their bitter words like arrows,
ambushing the innocent in seclusion, 1Pe 2:22-23Psa 55:19Psa 10:8-9Psa 11:21Sa 18:111Sa 19:102Sa 15:14Hab 3:14
shooting suddenly, without fear.
They hold fast to their evil purpose; Psa 140:5Psa 10:11Ezk 8:12Job 22:13Psa 59:7Psa 94:71Sa 23:19-23Exo 15:9
they speak of hiding their snares.
“Who will see them?” they say.
They devise injustice and say, Jer 17:9-10Mat 26:59Isa 29:15Psa 5:91Co 4:5Dan 6:4-5Jhn 18:29-30Pro 20:5
“We have perfected a secret plan.”
For the inner man and the heart are mysterious.
But God will shoot them with arrows; Pro 6:15Psa 7:12-131Th 5:2-3Psa 18:141Ch 10:3-7Deu 32:23Deu 32:42Isa 30:13
suddenly they will be wounded.
They will be made to stumble, Pro 18:7Pro 12:13Psa 140:9Jer 18:16Jer 48:27Job 15:6Luk 19:22Mat 21:41
their own tongues turned against them.
All who see will shake their heads.
Then all mankind will fear Jer 51:10Hos 14:9Psa 40:3Isa 5:12Psa 107:42-43Jer 50:28Psa 58:11Ezk 14:23
and proclaim the work of God;
so they will ponder what He has done.
Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD Psa 32:111Co 1:30-31Psa 40:3Psa 112:2Psa 25:20Gal 6:14Job 22:19Php 4:4
and take refuge in Him;
let all the upright in heart exult.