James 3:4-6

New Catholic Bible

⁴ Or think of ships. Even though they are large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder on whatever course the helmsman chooses. ⁵ In the same way, the tongue is a small member but its pretensions are great.

Consider how a small fire can set ablaze a great forest. ⁶ And the tongue is also a fire, a world of evil that infects the entire body. It sets afire the entire course of our existence and is itself set on fire by Gehenna.