James 3
1 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].
Ka manuca rhoek, saya la muep om uh boeh. Laitloeknah tanglue n'dang uh ni tila ming uh.
2 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].
Hlang boeih loh muep m'paloe uh coeng. Khat khat loh olka dongah a tongtah pawt atah, anih tah hlang lungcuei coeng ni. A pum tom khaw a tuem hamla coeng thai ni.
3 [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].
Marhang ka khuila kamrhui ng'khueh pah daengah ni amih te mamih taengah naem sak eh. Te phoeiah ni a pum tom khaw n'hoihaeng sak pueng.
4 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].
Sangpho khaw ke, te tluk aih la om tih khohli puei loh a yawn mai. Lawngkaih ca neh a hoihaeng vaengah thathohnah loh a ngaih bangla a dueng sak.
5 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.
Lai khaw a pumrho a yit la om dae muep hoem van. Hmai pom loh duup puei a dom coeng ke.
6 [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)
Lai tah hmai ni, boethae kah Diklai ni. Lai tah mamih pumrho lamkah hmoel uh coeng. Te long te pum tom a nook tih, a rhuirhong a yung a pa te a hlup tih hell neh a hoeh. (Geenna g1067)
7 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,
Satlung neh vaa kah a hui boeih, rhulcai neh tuisu khaw a mong vanbangla hlanghing coengnah te khaw a mong sak.
8 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.
Tedae lai he hlang kah a mong sak thai koi moenih. Boethae likloek, duek sue hoeng ni.
9 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].
Te nen te Boeipa neh pa te ng'uem uh tih, te nen Pathen kah suisak la a saii hlang rhoek te thae m'phoei uh.
10 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!
Ka amah lamkah yoethennah neh rhunkhuennah khaw thoeng. Ka manuca rhoek, a tueng pawt lam ni a om tangkuet te.
11 Surely bitter water and good water do not come out of the same spring! [RHQ]
Tuisih te a khui pakhat lamloh a didip neh a thanghap phuet sak pawt maco.
12 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].
Ka manuca rhoek, thaibu loh olive, misur loh thaibu cuen sak thai pawt maco. A al loh tui te didip la a poeh sak moenih.
13 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].
Nangmih khuiah, aka cueih tih aka thaai te unim? A bisai te omih then neh, cueihnah te muelhtuetnah neh tueng sak saeh.
14 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.
Na thinko khuiah thatlainah a thanghap neh koevoeinah na khueh uh atah, oltak te na koevoei thil, na laithae uh thil moenih a?
15 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]).
Tekah cueihnah tah a so lamkah aka suntla la om pawt tih, diklai rhaithae kah a coengnah ni.
16 [Keep in mind that] people who have such attitudes (are unruly/do not submit to authority) and [do] all kinds of evil things.
Thatlainah neh koevoeinah a om nah ah soekloeknah neh hno thae cungkuem om.
17 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].
Tedae a so lamkah cueihnah tah lamhma tih cuem, te dongah ngaimong la, kodo la, mongkawt la om. Rhennah thaih then neh baetawt tih hmantang ah tangyah pawh.
18 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].
Duengnah kah a thaih tah rhoepnah neh aka tuh long ni rhoepnah a saii.
