James 3:5 — Bible Verse (KJV)

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

James 3:5 — King James Version (KJV), 1611

James 3:5 in 6 Bible Translations

Read James 3:5 in the King James Version (KJV) and 5 other free, public-domain translations side by side.

James 3:5 WEB — World English Bible (2000)

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

James 3:5 — World English Bible

James 3:5 ASV — American Standard Version (1901)

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

James 3:5 — American Standard Version

James 3:5 YLT — Young's Literal Translation (1862)

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

James 3:5 — Young's Literal Translation

James 3:5 DBY — Darby Translation (1890)

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

James 3:5 — Darby Translation

James 3:5 GEN — Geneva Bible (1599)

“Euen so the tongue is a litle member, and boasteth of great things: beholde, howe great a thing a litle fire kindleth.”

James 3:5 — Geneva Bible

James 3:5 in Context — James 3

3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

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

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

Read the full chapter: James 3 →

What Does James 3:5 Mean?

James 3:5 is a verse from the Book of James, part of the New Testament. It appears in James chapter 3. Use The Living Sword's word-by-word study mode to explore every word in the original Greek.

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