James 3:4-8
New King James Version
4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so (A)the tongue is a little member and (B)boasts great things.
See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And (C)the tongue is a fire, a world of [a]iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it (D)defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of [b]nature; and it is set on fire by [c]hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, (E)full of deadly poison.
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James 3:4-8
New American Standard Bible
4 Look at the ships too: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are nevertheless directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it (A)boasts of great things.
(B)See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And (C)the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among [a]our body’s parts as that which (D)defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our [b]life, and is set on fire by [c](E)hell. 7 For every [d]species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human [e]race. 8 But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of (F)deadly poison.
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James 3:4-8
Amplified Bible
4 And look at the ships. Even though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the helmsman determines. 5 In the same sense, the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.
See [by comparison] how great a forest is set on fire by a small spark! 6 And the tongue is [in a sense] a fire, the very world of injustice and unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which contaminates the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life [the cycle of man’s existence], and is itself set on fire by [a]hell (Gehenna). 7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. 8 But no one can tame the human tongue; it is a restless evil [undisciplined, unstable], full of deadly poison.
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- James 3:6 See note Matt 5:22.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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