James 3:5

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Jer 9:3-8 : 3 The Lord Laments That He Has No Choice But to Judge Them The LORD says,“These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows. Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies. They have become powerful in the land, but they have not done so by honest means. Indeed, they do one evil thing after another and do not pay attention to me. 4 Everyone must be on his guard around his friends. He must not even trust any of his relatives. For every one of them will find some way to cheat him. And all of his friends will tell lies about him. 5 One friend deceives another and no one tells the truth. These people have trained themselves to tell lies. They do wrong and are unable to repent. 6 They do one act of violence after another, and one deceitful thing after another. They refuse to pay attention to me,” says the LORD. 7 Therefore the LORD of Heaven’s Armies,“I will now purify them in the fires of affliction and test them. The wickedness of my dear people has left me no choice. What else can I do? 8 Their tongues are like deadly arrows. They are always telling lies. Friendly words for their neighbors come from their mouths. But their minds are thinking up ways to trap them.
  • Ps 17:10 : 10 They are calloused; they speak arrogantly.
  • Ps 52:1-2 : 1 For the music director; a well-written song by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul:“David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.” Why do you boast about your evil plans, O powerful man? God’s loyal love protects me all day long! 2 Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver.
  • Ps 73:8-9 : 8 They mock and say evil things; they proudly threaten violence. 9 They speak as if they rule in heaven, and lay claim to the earth.
  • Prov 12:18 : 18 Speaking recklessly is like the thrusts of a sword, but the words of the wise bring healing.
  • Prov 15:2 : 2 The tongue of the wise treats knowledge correctly, but the mouth of the fool spouts out folly.
  • Prov 18:21 : 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love its use will eat its fruit.
  • Jer 18:18 : 18 Jeremiah Petitions the Lord to Punish Those Who Attack Him Then some people said,“Come on! Let us consider how to deal with Jeremiah! There will still be priests to instruct us, wise men to give us advice, and prophets to declare God’s word. Come on! Let’s bring charges against him and get rid of him! Then we will not need to pay attention to anything he says.”
  • Ezek 28:2 : 2 “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre,‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says:“‘Your heart is proud and you said,“I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas”– yet you are a man and not a god, though you think you are godlike.
  • Ps 10:3 : 3 Yes, the wicked man boasts because he gets what he wants; the one who robs others curses and rejects the LORD.
  • Ps 12:2-4 : 2 People lie to one another; they flatter and deceive. 3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that boasts! 4 They say,“We speak persuasively; we know how to flatter and boast. Who is our master?”
  • Rev 13:5-6 : 5 The beast was given a mouth speaking proud words and blasphemies, and he was permitted to exercise ruling authority for forty-two months. 6 So the beast opened his mouth to blaspheme against God– to blaspheme both his name and his dwelling place, that is, those who dwell in heaven.
  • Jude 1:16 : 16 These people are grumblers and fault-finders who go wherever their desires lead them, and they give bombastic speeches, enchanting folks for their own gain.
  • Dan 3:15 : 15 Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must bow down and pay homage to the statue that I had made. If you don’t pay homage to it, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. Now, who is that god who can rescue you from my power?”
  • Dan 4:30 : 30 The king uttered these words:“Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence by my own mighty strength and for my majestic honor?”
  • 2 Pet 2:18 : 18 For by speaking high-sounding but empty words they are able to entice, with fleshly desires and with debauchery, people who have just escaped from those who reside in error.
  • Exod 15:9 : 9 The enemy said,‘I will chase, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my desire will be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.’
  • 2 Kgs 19:22-24 : 22 Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at? At whom have you shouted, and looked so arrogantly? At the Holy One of Israel! 23 Through your messengers you taunted the Sovereign Master,‘With my many chariots I climbed up the high mountains, the slopes of Lebanon. I cut down its tall cedars, and its best evergreens. I invaded its most remote regions, its thickest woods. 24 I dug wells and drank water in foreign lands. With the soles of my feet I dried up all the rivers of Egypt.’
  • Job 21:14-15 : 14 So they say to God,‘Turn away from us! We do not want to know your ways. 15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain if we were to pray to him?’
  • Job 22:17 : 17 They were saying to God,‘Turn away from us,’ and‘What can the Almighty 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%

    6And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence– and is set on fire by hell.

    7For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature is subdued and has been subdued by humankind.

    8But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

    9With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people made in God’s image.

    10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters.

  • Jas 3:2-4
    3 verses
    77%

    2For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual, able to control the entire body as well.

    3And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies.

    4Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination directs.

  • Prov 15:4
    73%

    4Speech that heals is like a life-giving tree, but a perverse speech breaks the spirit.

  • Prov 10:19-20
    2 verses
    71%

    19When words abound, transgression is inevitable, but the one who restrains his words is wise.

    20What the righteous say is like the best silver, but what the wicked think is of little value.

  • Prov 15:1-2
    2 verses
    70%

    1A gentle response turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.

    2The tongue of the wise treats knowledge correctly, but the mouth of the fool spouts out folly.

  • Prov 21:23
    70%

    23The one who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his life from troubles.

  • Job 15:5
    69%

    5Your sin inspires your mouth; you choose the language of the crafty.

  • Prov 10:31
    69%

    31The speech of the righteous bears the fruit of wisdom, but the one who speaks perversion will be destroyed.

  • Prov 14:3
    68%

    3In the speech of a fool is a rod for his back, but the words of the wise protect them.

  • Prov 16:27
    68%

    27A wicked scoundrel digs up evil, and his slander is like a scorching fire.

  • Prov 18:20-21
    2 verses
    68%

    20From the fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied, with the product of his lips he will be satisfied.

    21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love its use will eat its fruit.

  • Gal 5:9
    68%

    9A little yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise!

  • Ps 12:3-4
    2 verses
    68%

    3May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that boasts!

    4They say,“We speak persuasively; we know how to flatter and boast. Who is our master?”

  • Isa 9:18
    68%

    18For evil burned like a fire, it consumed thorns and briers; it burned up the thickets of the forest, and they went up in smoke.

  • Prov 6:27
    68%

    27Can a man hold fire against his chest without burning his clothes?

  • Ps 83:14
    68%

    14Like the fire that burns down the forest, or the flames that consume the mountainsides,

  • Jer 5:14
    68%

    14Because of that, the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies, said to me,“Because these people have spoken like this, I will make the words that I put in your mouth like fire. And I will make this people like wood which the fiery judgments you speak will burn up.”

  • Ezek 15:4-5
    2 verses
    68%

    4No! It is thrown in the fire for fuel; when the fire has burned up both ends of it and it is charred in the middle, will it be useful for anything?

    5Indeed! If it was not made into anything useful when it was whole, how much less can it be made into anything when the fire has burned it up and it is charred?

  • Prov 13:3
    67%

    3The one who guards his words guards his life; whoever is talkative will come to ruin.

  • Jas 1:26
    67%

    26If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile.

  • Ps 39:3
    67%

    3my anxiety intensified. As I thought about it, I became impatient. Finally I spoke these words:

  • Job 41:21
    67%

    21Its breath sets coals ablaze and a flame shoots from its mouth.

  • Prov 26:21
    67%

    21Like charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious person to kindle strife.

  • 1 Pet 3:10
    67%

    10For the one who wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from uttering deceit.

  • Prov 12:18
    67%

    18Speaking recklessly is like the thrusts of a sword, but the words of the wise bring healing.

  • Ps 120:3
    67%

    3How will he severely punish you, you deceptive talker?

  • Jas 1:19
    66%

    19Living Out the Message Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.

  • 1 Cor 5:6
    66%

    6Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast affects the whole batch of dough?

  • Prov 25:23
    66%

    23The north wind brings forth rain, and a gossiping tongue brings forth an angry look.

  • Rom 3:14
    66%

    14“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

  • Ps 50:19
    66%

    19You do damage with words, and use your tongue to deceive.

  • Prov 25:15
    66%

    15Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a soft tongue can break a bone.

  • Prov 26:18
    66%

    18Like a madman who shoots firebrands and deadly arrows,

  • Eccl 10:12
    66%

    12Words and Works of Wise Men and Fools The words of a wise person win him favor, but the words of a fool are self-destructive.

  • Ps 52:2
    66%

    2Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver.

  • Job 15:13
    66%

    13when you turn your rage against God and allow such words to escape from your mouth?

  • Ps 10:7
    66%

    7His mouth is full of curses and deceptive, harmful words; his tongue injures and destroys.

  • Job 22:20
    66%

    20‘Surely our enemies are destroyed, and fire consumes their wealth.’

  • Matt 12:36
    66%

    36I tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak.