3 We put a piece of iron in the mouths of horses so they will obey us. Then we can make their whole bodies go where we want them to go.

4 Look at the big boats also. They are very big. The strong winds push them along. But a man uses a small piece of wood and makes the boat go where he wants it to go.

5 A persons tongue is like that. It is a small part of the body but it talks about big things. A very small fire can burn a big pile of wood!

6 The tongue is like a fire. It is like a whole world of trouble. It is a part of our body. And it makes our whole body bad. It burns up our whole life. And the fire that makes the tongue burn comes from hell.

7 People have been able to tame all kinds of animals, birds, snakes, and fish.

8 But no one can tame the tongue. It is a bad thing that will not be ruled. It is full of poison that can kill.