Jakobus 3
1 Zijt niet vele meesters, mijn broeders, wetende, dat wij te meerder oordeel zullen ontvangen.
My fellow believers, not many of you should [desire to] become teachers [of God’s truth, because] you know [that God] will judge us [(exc)], who teach others, more severely [than he will judge other people].
2 Want wij struikelen allen in vele. Indien iemand in woorden niet struikelt, die is een volmaakt man, machtig om ook het gehele lichaam in den toom te houden.
It is true that we all in many ways do things that are wrong [MET]. But those who always [LIT] control what they say will be all that God intends/wants them to be. They will be able to control all their actions [MTY].
3 Ziet, wij leggen den paarden tomen in de monden, opdat zij ons zouden gehoorzamen, en wij leiden daarmede hun gehele lichaam om;
[To illustrate], if we put [a small metal] bit into the mouth of a horse in order to cause the horse to obey us, we can cause the horse to turn [and go where we want it to] [MET].
4 Ziet ook de schepen, hoewel zij zo groot zijn, en van harde winden gedreven, zij worden omgewend van een zeer klein roer, waarhenen ook de begeerte des stuurders wil.
Think also about ships. [Although] a ship may be very large and [although] it can be moved by strong winds {strong winds can move it}, by [turning] a very small (rudder/steering paddle) people can direct the ship wherever they want [it to go].
5 Alzo is ook de tong een klein lid, en roemt nochtans grote dingen. Ziet, een klein vuur, hoe groten hoop houts het aansteekt.
Similarly, [although] our tongues are very small, [if we do not control them], we can [harm] many people by what we proudly say [MTY]. Think [also] about how [just] a small [flame of] fire can cause a large forest (OR, a large area of brushwood) to burn.
6 De tong is ook een vuur, een wereld der ongerechtigheid; alzo is de tong onder onze leden gesteld, welke het gehele lichaam besmet, en ontsteekt het rad onzer geboorte, en wordt ontstoken van de hel. (Geenna g1067)
[Just like a fire damages a forest] [MET], when we say things that are evil, [we harm many people]. What we say [MTY] reveals that we are very evil. What we say contaminates/defiles everything that we think and do [PRS, MET]. [Just like a flame of fire easily] causes [the whole surrounding area] [MET] to burn, what we say [MTY] can cause [others] to want to do evil. It is the devil himself [MTY] who causes us to say evil things. (Geenna g1067)
7 Want alle natuur, beide der wilde dieren en der vogelen, beide der kruipende en der zeedieren, wordt getemd en is getemd geweest van de menselijke natuur.
Indeed, although people are able to tame/control all kinds of wild animals, birds, reptiles and creatures that live in the water, and people have actually tamed/controlled them,
8 Maar de tong kan geen mens temmen; zij is een onbedwingelijk kwaad, vol van dodelijk venijn.
no person ([on his own/by himself]) is able to control what he says [MTY]. And when people say evil things, [it shows that] they are unstable/uncontrolled and wicked [MTY]. [As] the poison [of a snake kills people] [MTY], [we harm others] [MET] by what we say.
9 Door haar loven wij God en den Vader, en door haar vervloeken wij de mensen, die naar de gelijkenis van God gemaakt zijn.
We use our tongue to praise God, who is our Lord and Father, but we also use our same tongue to ask God to say evil things to people. [That is very wrong]! God made people like himself, [so we should speak as respectfully to others as we speak to God].
10 Uit denzelfden mond komt voort zegening en vervloeking. Dit moet, mijn broeders, alzo niet geschieden.
We praise [God], but with our same mouth we also ask for evil [things to happen to others]. My fellow believers, this should not be!
11 Welt ook een fontein uit een zelfde ader het zoet en het bitter?
Surely bitter water and good water do not come out of the same spring! [RHQ]
12 Kan ook, mijn broeders, een vijgeboom olijven voortbrengen, of een wijnstok vijgen? Alzo kan geen fontein zout en zoet water voortbrengen.
My fellow believers, a fig tree cannot [RHQ] produce olives. Nor can [RHQ] a grapevine produce figs. Neither can a salty spring produce good [water]. [Similarly, we should say only good things, and we should not say evil things] [MET].
13 Wie is wijs en verstandig onder u? die bewijze uit zijn goeden wandel zijn werken in zachtmoedige wijsheid.
If any of you thinks [RHQ] that [you are] wise and know a lot, you should always act in a good way to show people that your good actions are the result of your [being truly] wise. Being wise [helps us to act] gently [toward others].
14 Maar indien gij bitteren nijd en twistgierigheid hebt in uw hart, zo roemt en liegt niet tegen de waarheid.
But if you are very [MET] jealous/unhappy when you see that someone else is succeeding, and always want to have what you want, regardless of what others want, you should not say [that you are wise, for by boasting like that], you are saying that ([God’s message/what God says about you]) is not true.
15 Deze is de wijsheid niet, die van boven afkomt, maar is aards, natuurlijk, duivels.
Those who have such [attitudes are] not wise [MTY] in the way that God [wants them to be]. Instead, they are only thinking and acting like ([ungodly people/people who do not please God]). They think and act according to their own [evil] desires. They do what the demons [want them to do] (OR, they think and act as demons [do]).
16 Want waar nijd en twistgierigheid is, aldaar is verwarring en alle boze handel.
[Keep in mind that] people who have such attitudes (are unruly/do not submit to authority) and [do] all kinds of evil things.
17 Maar de wijsheid, die van boven is, die is ten eerste zuiver, daarna vreedzaam, bescheiden, gezeggelijk, vol van barmhartigheid en van goede vruchten, niet partijdig oordelende, en ongeveinsd.
But [when people] are wise [PRS] in the way that God [MTY] [wants them to be], they are pure in every way, which God considers to be very important. They also act peaceably towards [others], they (are considerate of/think about the rights and feelings of) others, they are willing to yield to [the wishes of] others, they act compassionately [toward others], and they do all kinds of good things [for others] [MET]. [How they treat others does] not depend on (others’ status/whether others are important or not), and they are sincere [in all they do].
18 En de vrucht der rechtvaardigheid wordt in vrede gezaaid voor degenen, die vrede maken.
Those who [act] peaceably [toward others] cause [others to also] act peaceably, with the result that they all live together [acting toward each other] in a righteous way [MET].
