James 3:8

New Living Translation

but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
But no one can control the tongue. It is wild and evil, full of deadly poison.

Revised Standard Version
but no human being can tame the tongue--a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
But the tonge can no man tame. Yt is an vntuely evyll full of deedly poyson.

Hebrew Names Version
But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

New American Standard Bible
But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

New Century Version
but no one can tame the tongue. It is wild and evil and full of deadly poison.

Update Bible Version
But the tongue no man can tame; [it is] a restless evil, [it is] full of deadly poison.

Webster's Bible Translation
But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

English Standard Version
but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

World English Bible
But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But the tongue can no man tame: it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

Weymouth's New Testament
But the tongue no man or woman is able to tame. It is an ever-busy mischief, and is full of deadly poison.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
for it is an vnpesible yuel, and ful of deedli venym.

English Revised Version
but the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison.

Berean Standard Bible
but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Contemporary English Version
But our tongues get out of control. They are restless and evil, and always spreading deadly poison.

Amplified Bible
But no one can tame the human tongue; it is a restless evil [undisciplined, unstable], full of deadly poison.

American Standard Version
but the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison.

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

Complete Jewish Bible
but the tongue no one can tame — it is an unstable and evil thing, full of death-dealing poison!

Darby Translation
but the tongue can no one among men tame; [it is] an unsettled evil, full of death-bringing poison.

International Standard Version
but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil filled with deadly poison.Psalm 140:3;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
but the tongue no one can subdue; this is an evil not ordered, (and) full of the poison of death.

Murdock Translation
But the tongue hath no one been able to tame: it is an evil thing, not coercible, and full of deadly poison.

King James Version (1611)
But the tongue can no man tame, it is an vnruly euill, ful of deadly poyson.

New Life Bible
But no man can make his tongue say what he wants it to say. It is sinful and does not rest. It is full of poison that kills.

New Revised Standard
but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But the tongue can no man tame. It is an vnruly euill, full of deadly poyson.

George Lamsa Translation
But the tongue no man can tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, the tongue, none of mankind can, tame, - A restless mischief! Full of deadly poison

Douay-Rheims Bible
But the tongue no man can tame, an unquiet evil, full of deadly poison.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But the tongue can no man tame, it is an vnruly euyll, full of deadly poyson.

Good News Translation
But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison.

Christian Standard Bible®
but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

King James Version
But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

Lexham English Bible
but no human being is able to tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Literal Translation
but no one of men is able to tame the tongue; it is an unrestrainable evil, full of death-dealing poison.

Young's Literal Translation
and the tongue no one of men is able to subdue, [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But the toge can no man tame. Yt is an vnruely euell full of deedly poysou.

Mace New Testament (1729)
but who could ever tame the tongue? arm'd with deadly poison, the mischief scorns restraint.

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

New King James Version
But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Well, nothing except the tongue; it is an evil bronc that can't be rode, full of malice and might.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

Contextual Overview

¹ Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. ² Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. ³ We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. ⁴ And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. ⁵ In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. ⁶ And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. ⁷ People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, ⁸ but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. ¹⁰ And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

an unruly: James 3:6, Psalms 55:21, Psalms 57:4, Psalms 59:7, Psalms 64:3, Psalms 64:4

full: Deuteronomy 32:33, Psalms 58:4, Psalms 140:3, Ecclesiastes 10:11, Romans 3:13, Revelation 12:9

Reciprocal: Mark 5:4 - tame

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, "Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?"

Genesis 3:2
"Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden," the woman replied.

Genesis 3:3
"It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.'"

Genesis 3:9
Then the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?"

Genesis 3:10
He replied, "I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked."

Genesis 3:12
The man replied, "It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it."

Genesis 3:21
And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.

Genesis 3:22
Then the Lord God said, "Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!"

Deuteronomy 4:33
Has any nation ever heard the voice of God speaking from fire—as you did—and survived?

Deuteronomy 5:25
But now, why should we risk death again? If the Lord our God speaks to us again, we will certainly die and be consumed by this awesome fire.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But the tongue can no man tame,.... Either his own, or others; not his own, for the man that has the greatest guard upon himself, his words and actions; yet, what through pride or passion, or one lust or another in his heart, at one time or another, bolts out vain, idle, angry, and sinful words: and he that does not may be set down for a perfect man indeed: nor can he tame or restrain the tongues of others from detraction, calumnies, backbitings, and whisperings; who say, their lips are their own, and who is Lord over us? no man can, by his own power and strength, tame or subdue his tongue, or restrain it from evils it is habituated to, be it lying, cursing, swearing, or what else: God, by his Spirit, power, and grace, can, and often does, change the note of the curser, swearer, liar, and blasphemer; but no man can do this, though he can tame beasts, birds, serpents, and fishes; which shows the tongue to be worse than anything to be found in the whole compass of nature:

[it is an] unruly evil: an evil it is, for it is a world of iniquity; and an unruly one, being more so than the horse and mule, which are without understanding, who are kept in and governed, and turned any way by the bit and bridle: but though in nature the tongue is fenced by a double fence of the lips and teeth, this is not sufficient to restrain it; it breaks all bounds, and is not to be kept in by nature, art, or argument: nothing but the grace of God can in any measure govern it, or lay an embargo on it:

full of deadly poison, which, privately, secretly, and gradually, destroys the characters, credit, and reputation of men; and is of fatal consequence in families, neighbourhoods, churches, and states.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But the tongue can no man tame - This does not mean that it is never brought under control, but that it is impossible effectually and certainly to subdue it. It would be possible to subdue and domesticate any kind of beasts, but this could not be done with the tongue.

It is an unruly evil - An evil without restraint, to which no certain and effectual check can be applied. Of the truth of this no one can have any doubt, who looks at the condition of the world.

Full of deadly poison - That is, it acts on the happiness of man, and on the peace of society, as poison does on the human frame. The allusion here seems to be to the bite of a venomous reptile. Compare Psalms 140:3, “They have sharpened their tongues like serpent; adders” poison is under their lips.” Romans 3:13, “with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips.” Nothing would better describe the mischief that may be done by the tongue. There is no sting of a serpent that does so much evil in the world; there is no poison more deadly to the frame than the poison of the tongue is to the happiness of man. Who, for example, can stand before the power of the slanderer? What mischief can be done in society that can be compared with that which he may do?

- ’Tis slander;

Whose edge is sharper than the sword; whose tongue

Outvenoms all the worms of Nile; whose breath

Rides on the posting winds, and doth belie

All corners of the world: kings, queens, and states,

Maids, matrons, nay, the secrets of the grave

This viperous slander enters.

Shakespeare in Cymbellna.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 8. But the tongue wan no man tame — No cunning, persuasion, or influence has ever been able to silence it. Nothing but the grace of God, excision, or death, can bring it under subjection.

It is an unruly evil — ακατασχετον κακον. An evil that cannot be restrained; it cannot be brought under any kind of government; it breaks all bounds.

Full of deadly poison. — He refers here to the tongues of serpents, supposed to be the means of conveying their poison into wounds made by their teeth. Throughout the whole of this poetic and highly declamatory description, St. James must have the tongue of the slanderer, calumniator, backbiter, whisperer, and tale-bearer, particularly in view. Vipers, basilisks; and rattlesnakes are not more dangerous to life, than these are to the peace and reputation of men.