James 3:5

Bible in Basic English (1941)

Even so the tongue is a small part of the body, but it takes credit for great things. How much wood may be lighted by a very little fire!

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Jer 9:3-8 : 3 Their tongues are bent like a bow to send out false words: they have become strong in the land, but not for good faith: they go on from evil to evil, and they have no knowledge of me, says the Lord. 4 Let everyone keep watch on his neighbour, and put no faith in any brother: for every brother will certainly be tricking his brother, and every neighbour will go about saying evil. 5 Everyone will make sport of his neighbour with deceit, not saying what is true: their tongues have been trained to say false words; they are twisted, hating to come back. 6 There is wrong on wrong, deceit on deceit; they have given up the knowledge of me, says the Lord. 7 So the Lord of armies has said, See, I will make them soft in the fire and put them to the test; this I will do because of their evil-doing. 8 His tongue is an arrow causing death; the words of his mouth are deceit: he says words of peace to his neighbour, but in his heart he is waiting secretly for him.
  • Ps 17:10 : 10 They are shut up in their fat: with their mouths they say words of pride.
  • Ps 52:1-2 : 1 <To the chief music-maker. Maschil. Of David. When Doeg the Edomite came to Saul saying, David has come to the house of Ahimelech.> Why do you take pride in wrongdoing, lifting yourself up against the upright man all the day? 2 Purposing destruction, using deceit; your tongue is like a sharp blade.
  • Ps 73:8-9 : 8 Their thoughts are deep with evil designs; their talk from their seats of power is of cruel acts. 9 Their mouth goes up to heaven; their tongues go walking through the earth.
  • Prov 12:18 : 18 There are some whose uncontrolled talk is like the wounds of a sword, but the tongue of the wise makes one well again.
  • Prov 15:2 : 2 Knowledge is dropping from the tongue of the wise; but from the mouth of the foolish comes a stream of foolish words.
  • Prov 18:21 : 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and those to whom it is dear will have its fruit for their food.
  • Jer 18:18 : 18 Then they said, Come, let us make a design against Jeremiah; for teaching will never be cut off from the priest, or wisdom from the wise, or the word from the prophet. Come, let us make use of his words for an attack on him, and let us give attention with care to what he says.
  • Ezek 28:2 : 2 Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, This is what the Lord has said: Because your heart has been lifted up, and you have said, I am a god, I am seated on the seat of God in the heart of the seas; but you are man and not God, though you have made your heart as the heart of God:
  • Ps 10:3 : 3 For the evil-doer is lifted up because of the purpose of his heart, and he whose mind is fixed on wealth is turned away from the Lord, saying evil against him.
  • Ps 12:2-4 : 2 Everyone says false words to his neighbour: their tongues are smooth in their talk, and their hearts are full of deceit. 3 The smooth lips and the tongue of pride will be cut off by the Lord. 4 They have said, With our tongues will we overcome; our lips are ours: who is lord over us?
  • Rev 13:5-6 : 5 And there was given to him a mouth to say words of pride against God; and there was given to him authority to go on for forty-two months. 6 And his mouth was open to say evil against God, and against his name and his Tent, even against those who are in heaven.
  • Jude 1:16 : 16 These are the men who make trouble, ever desiring change, going after evil pleasures, using high-sounding words, respecting men's position in the hope of reward.
  • Dan 3:15 : 15 Now if you are ready, on hearing the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all sorts of instruments, to go down on your faces in worship before the image which I have made, it is well: but if you will not give worship, that same hour you will be put into a burning and flaming fire; and what god is there who will be able to take you out of my hands?
  • Dan 4:30 : 30 The king made answer and said, Is this not great Babylon, which I have made for the living-place of kings, by the strength of my power and for the glory of my honour?
  • 2 Pet 2:18 : 18 For with high-sounding false words, making use of the attraction of unclean desires of the flesh, they get into their power those newly made free from those who are living in error;
  • Exod 15:9 : 9 Egypt said, I will go after them, I will overtake, I will make division of their goods: my desire will have its way with them; my sword will be uncovered, my hand will send destruction on them.
  • 2 Kgs 19:22-24 : 22 Against whom have you said evil and bitter things? against whom has your voice been loud and your eyes lifted up? even against the Holy One of Israel. 23 You have sent your servants with evil words against the Lord, and have said, With all my war-carriages I have come up to the top of the mountains, to the inmost parts of Lebanon; its tall cedars will be cut down, and the best trees of its woods; I will come up into his highest places, into his thick woods. 24 I have made water-holes and taken their waters, and with my foot I have made all the rivers of Egypt dry.
  • Job 21:14-15 : 14 Though they said to God, Go away from us, for we have no desire for the knowledge of your ways. 15 What is the Ruler of all, that we may give him worship? and what profit is it to us to make prayer to him?
  • Job 22:17 : 17 Who said to God, Go away from us; and, What is the Ruler of all able to do to us?

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Jas 3:6-10
    5 verses
    87%

    6 And the tongue is a fire; it is the power of evil placed in our bodies, making all the body unclean, putting the wheel of life on fire, and getting its fire from hell.

    7 For every sort of beast and bird and every living thing on earth and in the sea has been controlled by man and is under his authority;

    8 But the tongue may not be controlled by man; it is an unresting evil, it is full of the poison of death.

    9 With it we give praise to our Lord and Father; and with it we put a curse on men who are made in God's image.

    10 Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, it is not right for these things to be so.

  • Jas 3:2-4
    3 verses
    77%

    2 For we all go wrong in a number of things. If a man never makes a slip in his talk, then he is a complete man and able to keep all his body in control.

    3 Now if we put bits of iron into horses' mouths so that they may be guided by us, we have complete control of their bodies.

    4 And again ships, though they are so great and are moved by violent winds, are turned by a very small guiding-blade, at the impulse of the man who is using it.

  • Prov 15:4
    73%

    4 A comforting tongue is a tree of life, but a twisted tongue is a crushing of the spirit.

  • Prov 10:19-20
    2 verses
    71%

    19 Where there is much talk there will be no end to sin, but he who keeps his mouth shut does wisely.

    20 The tongue of the upright man is like tested silver: the heart of the evil-doer is of little value.

  • Prov 15:1-2
    2 verses
    70%

    1 By a soft answer wrath is turned away, but a bitter word is a cause of angry feelings.

    2 Knowledge is dropping from the tongue of the wise; but from the mouth of the foolish comes a stream of foolish words.

  • Prov 21:23
    70%

    23 He who keeps watch over his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles.

  • Job 15:5
    69%

    5 For your mouth is guided by your sin, and you have taken the tongue of the false for yourself.

  • Prov 10:31
    69%

    31 The mouth of the upright man is budding with wisdom, but the twisted tongue will be cut off.

  • Prov 14:3
    68%

    3 In the mouth of the foolish man is a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will keep them safe.

  • Prov 16:27
    68%

    27 A good-for-nothing man is a designer of evil, and in his lips there is a burning fire.

  • Prov 18:20-21
    2 verses
    68%

    20 With the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach will be full; the produce of his lips will be his in full measure.

    21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and those to whom it is dear will have its fruit for their food.

  • Gal 5:9
    68%

    9 A little leaven makes a change in all the mass.

  • Ps 12:3-4
    2 verses
    68%

    3 The smooth lips and the tongue of pride will be cut off by the Lord.

    4 They have said, With our tongues will we overcome; our lips are ours: who is lord over us?

  • Isa 9:18
    68%

    18 For evil was burning like a fire; the blackberries and thorns were burned up; the thick woods took fire, rolling up in dark clouds of smoke.

  • Prov 6:27
    68%

    27 May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?

  • Ps 83:14
    68%

    14 As fire burning a wood, and as a flame causing fire on the mountains,

  • Jer 5:14
    68%

    14 For this reason the Lord, the God of armies, has said: Because you have said this, I will make my words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and they will be burned up by it.

  • Ezek 15:4-5
    2 verses
    68%

    4 See, it is put into the fire for burning: the fire has made a meal of its two ends and the middle part of it is burned; is it good for any work?

    5 Truly, before it was cut down, it was not used for any purpose: how much less, when the fire has made a meal of it and it is burned, will it be made into anything?

  • Prov 13:3
    67%

    3 He who keeps a watch on his mouth keeps his life; but he whose lips are open wide will have destruction.

  • Jas 1:26
    67%

    26 If a man seems to have religion and has no control over his tongue but lets himself be tricked by what is false, this man's religion is of no value.

  • Ps 39:3
    67%

    3 My heart was burning in my breast; while I was deep in thought the fire was lighted; then I said with my tongue,

  • Job 41:21
    67%

    21 Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth.

  • Prov 26:21
    67%

    21 Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.

  • 1 Pet 3:10
    67%

    10 For it is said, Let the man who has a love of life, desiring to see good days, keep his tongue from evil and his lips from words of deceit:

  • Prov 12:18
    67%

    18 There are some whose uncontrolled talk is like the wounds of a sword, but the tongue of the wise makes one well again.

  • Ps 120:3
    67%

    3 What punishment will he give you? what more will he do to you, you false tongue?

  • Jas 1:19
    66%

    19 You have knowledge of this, dear brothers. But let every man be quick in hearing, slow in words, slow to get angry;

  • 1 Cor 5:6
    66%

    6 This pride of yours is not good. Do you not see that a little leaven makes a change in all the mass?

  • Prov 25:23
    66%

    23 As the north wind gives birth to rain, so is an angry face caused by a tongue saying evil secretly.

  • Rom 3:14
    66%

    14 Whose mouth is full of curses and bitter words:

  • Ps 50:19
    66%

    19 You have given your mouth to evil, your tongue to words of deceit.

  • Prov 25:15
    66%

    15 A judge is moved by one who for a long time undergoes wrongs without protest, and by a soft tongue even bone is broken.

  • Prov 26:18
    66%

    18 As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,

  • Eccl 10:12
    66%

    12 The words of a wise man's mouth are sweet to all, but the lips of a foolish man are his destruction.

  • Ps 52:2
    66%

    2 Purposing destruction, using deceit; your tongue is like a sharp blade.

  • Job 15:13
    66%

    13 So that you are turning your spirit against God, and letting such words go out of your mouth?

  • Ps 10:7
    66%

    7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and false words: under his tongue are evil purposes and dark thoughts.

  • Job 22:20
    66%

    20 Saying, Truly, their substance is cut off, and their wealth is food for the fire.

  • Matt 12:36
    66%

    36 And I say to you that in the day when they are judged, men will have to give an account of every foolish word they have said.