Parallel Verses

Julia Smith Translation

So also the tongue is a small member, and vaunts itself. Behold, how great a wood a little fire inflames

New American Standard Bible

So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

King James Version

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

Holman Bible

So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites.

International Standard Version

In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it can boast of great achievements. A huge forest can be set on fire by a little flame.

A Conservative Version

So also the tongue is a little body-part, and boasts greatly. Behold a little fire, how much wood it kindles.

American Standard Version

So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!

Amplified

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!

An Understandable Version

So, the tongue is a small part [of the body], yet it boasts of great accomplishments. Look at how large a forest is burned up by even a tiny spark.

Anderson New Testament

So, also, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how great a forest does a little fire set in a blaze.

Bible in Basic English

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!

Common New Testament

So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

Daniel Mace New Testament

so the tongue is but a small part of the body, yet how grand are its pretensions. a spark of fire! what quantities of timber will it blow into a flame?

Darby Translation

Thus also the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how little a fire, how large a wood it kindles!

Godbey New Testament

so also the tongue is a little member, and it boasts great things. Behold, how great a wood a little fire kindles!

Goodspeed New Testament

So the tongue is a little organ and yet very boastful. What a great forest a spark will set on fire!

John Wesley New Testament

So the tongue also is a little member, yet boasteth great things. Behold how much matter a little fire kindleth.

King James 2000

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how great a forest a little fire kindles!

Lexham Expanded Bible

So also the tongue is a small member [of the body] and boasts great [things]. Behold how small a fire sets ablaze how great a forest!

Modern King James verseion

Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. Behold how little a fire kindles how large a forest!

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

even so the tongue is little member and boasteth great things. Behold how great a thing a little fire kindleth,

Moffatt New Testament

So the tongue is a small member of the body, but it can boast of great exploits. What a forest is set ablaze by a little spark of fire!

Montgomery New Testament

So also the tongue is a small member and makes great boasts. Behold, how great a forest is set on fire by a little spark!

NET Bible

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.

New Heart English Bible

So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest.

Noyes New Testament

So also the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a forest a little fire kindleth!

Sawyer New Testament

so also the tongue is a small member and boasts of great things. Behold, how much wood a little fire kindles!

The Emphasized Bible

So, also, the tongue, is, a little member, and yet, of great things, maketh boast. Lo! how small a fire, kindleth, how great a forest;

Thomas Haweis New Testament

So also the tongue is a little member, and proudly vaunts. Behold how great a pile of wood, a little fire kindleth!

Twentieth Century New Testament

So is it with the tongue. Small as it is, it is a great boaster. Think how tiny a spark may set the largest forest ablaze!

Webster

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

Weymouth New Testament

In the same way the tongue is an insignificant part of the body, but it is immensely boastful. Remember how a mere spark may set a vast forest in flames.

Williams New Testament

So the tongue, too, is a little organ but can boast of great achievements. See how a spark, ever so tiny, can set a vast forest on fire!

World English Bible

So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest!

Worrell New Testament

So also the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how small a fire kindles how great a forest!

Worsley New Testament

So the tongue is a small part of the body, yet boasteth great things. Behold how much fuel a little fire kindleth!

Youngs Literal Translation

so also the tongue is a little member, and doth boast greatly; lo, a little fire how much wood it doth kindle!

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage

and, also, even, both, then, so, likewise, not tr., , vr and
Usage: 0

so
οὕτω 
Houto 
Usage: 146

the tongue
γλῶσσα 
Glossa 
Usage: 48

is
ἐστί 
Esti 
is, are, was, be, have, not tr, , vr is
Usage: 585

a little
μικρός μικρότερος 
Mikros 
ὀλίγος 
Oligos 
Usage: 15
Usage: 28

μέλος 
melos 
Usage: 32

and

and, also, even, both, then, so, likewise, not tr., , vr and
Usage: 0

μεγαλαυχέω 
megalaucheo 
Usage: 1

ἰδού 
Idou 
behold, lo, see
Usage: 140

ἡλίκος 
helikos 
Usage: 2

a matter
ὕλη 
Hule 
Usage: 1

πῦρ 
Pur 
Usage: 53

References

Context Readings

Restraining The Tongue

4 Behold also ships, being so great, and driven by hard winds, are led by the smallest rudder, wherever the desire of him steering should will. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, and vaunts itself. Behold, how great a wood a little fire inflames 6 (And the tongue a fire, a world of iniquity: so the tongue is placed in our members, defiling the whole body, and burning the wheel of creation; and burned by hell.

Cross References

Psalm 73:8-9

They will mock and speak in evil of oppression: they will speak from elevation.

Psalm 10:3

For the unjust boasted upon the desire of his soul, and he blessed him plundering, despising Jehovah.

Psalm 12:2-4

They will speak vanity each with his neighbor: smooth lips, with a heart and a heart will they speak

Psalm 17:10

They shut up their fat: their mouth spake in pride.

Psalm 52:1-2

To the overseer instruction to David: In the coming of Doeg the Edomite to Saul, and he will say to him, David came to the house of Ahimelech. Why wilt thou boast in evil, thou strong one? the mercy of God is all the day.

Proverbs 12:18

There is he talking idly as the piercings of the sword: and the tongue of the wise is healing.

Proverbs 15:2

The tongue of the wise will make knowledge good: and the mouth of the foolish will gush forth folly.

Proverbs 18:21

Death and life in the hand of the tongue: and they loving it shall eat its fruit

Jeremiah 9:3-8

And they will bend their tongue, their bow, a lie: and they were not strong for faithfulness upon the land; for from evil to evil they went forth, and they knew me not, says Jehovah.

Jeremiah 18:18

And they will say, Come, and we will purpose purposes against Jeremiah; for law shall not perish from the priest, and counsel from the wise, and the word from the prophet Come, and we will strike him with the tongue, and we will not attend to any of his words.

Ezekiel 28:2

Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because thy heart was lifted up, and thou wilt say, I am God, I sat upon the seat of God in the heart of the seas; and thou art man and not God, and thou wilt give thy heart as the heart of God.

Revelation 13:5-6

And a mouth was given him speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given him to make war forty-two months.

Exodus 5:2

And Pharaoh will say, Who is Jehovah, whose voice I shall hear to send forth Israel? I knew not Jehovah, and also I shall not send Israel forth.

Exodus 15:9

The enemy said, I will pursue, I will enclose, I will divide the spoil: my soul shall be filled with them: I will draw out my sword, my hand shall dispossess them.

2 Kings 19:22-24

Whom didst thou reproach and revile? and against whom didst thou lift up the voice, and thou wilt lift up thine eyes on high against the holy one of Israel?

Job 21:14-15

And they will say to God, Depart from us; and we desired not the knowledge of thy ways.

Job 22:17

They saying to God, Depart fron us: and what shall the Almighty do for them?

Ezekiel 29:3

Speak and say, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Behold me against thee Pharaoh, king of Egypt, the great sea-monster lying in the midst of his rivers, who said, The, river is to me, and I made me.

Daniel 3:15

Now if ye being prepared that in the time that ye shall hear the voice of the horn, the pipe, the harp, the lyre, the psaltery, and the bagpipe, and all sorts of music, ye shall fall and prostrate yourselves to the image that I made; and if ye shall not prostrate yourselves in the same moment, ye shall be cast into the midst of the furnace of flaming fire; and who that God that shall deliver you from my hands?

Daniel 4:30

The king answered and said, Is not this great Babel, that I built it for the house of the kingdom by the strength of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?

2 Peter 2:18

For speaking excessive things of vanity, they decoy with the eager desires of the flesh, for licentiousness, them having truly escaped from those turned back in error.

Jude 1:16

These are murmurers, discontented, going according to their eager desires; and their mouth speaks exceeding bulky things, admiring faces on account of advantage.

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain