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].
Mes frères, qu'il n'y ait pas parmi vous tant de gens qui s'érigent en docteurs; vous savez que par là on s'expose à un arrêt plus sévère.
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].
Tous, en effet, nous bronchons fort. Si quelqu'un ne bronche pas en paroles, c'est un homme parfait, capable de tenir en bride son corps tout entier.
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].
Si, pour nous faire obéir des chevaux, nous leur mettons le mors dans la bouche, nous gouvernons aussi leur corps tout entier.
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].
Voyez encore les navires: tout grands qu'ils sont, et quoique poussés par des vents violents, ils sont dirigés au gré du pilote, par un bien petit gouvernail.
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.
De même aussi la langue est un petit membre, et elle peut se vanter de grandes choses. Voyez quelle grande forêt un petit feu allume!
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)
La langue aussi est un feu, le monde de la méchanceté: c'est la langue qui, parmi les membres, a l'art de souiller le corps tout entier, et d'enflammer tout le cours de la vie, étant enflammée elle-même du feu de la Géhenne. (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,
Toute espèce de bêtes sauvages et d'oiseaux, de reptiles et d'animaux marins se domptent, et ont été domptés par l'espèce humaine,
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.
mais la langue, aucun homme ne peut la dompter: c'est un fléau qu'on ne peut arrêter; elle est pleine d'un venin mortel.
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].
Avec la langue, nous bénissons le Seigneur, notre Père; et avec la langue, nous maudissons les hommes, qui sont faits à la ressemblance de Dieu:
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!
de la même bouche sortent la bénédiction et la malédiction! Il ne faut pas, mes frères, qu'il en soit ainsi:
11 Surely bitter water and good water do not come out of the same spring! [RHQ]
est-ce que la source jette par la même ouverture le doux et l'amer?
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].
est-ce qu'un figuier, mes frères, peut donner des olives, ou une vigne des figues? de l'eau salée ne peut non plus donner de l'eau douce.
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].
Y a-t-il parmi vous quelque homme sage et instruit, qu'il montre par sa bonne conduite qu'il agit avec la douceur de la sagesse.
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.
Si vous avez dans le coeur un zèle amer et un esprit de dispute, ne vous glorifiez pas de votre sagesse, vous parleriez contre toute vérité.
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]).
Ce n'est point là la sagesse qui vient d'en haut; c'est une sagesse terrestre, animale, diabolique,
16 [Keep in mind that] people who have such attitudes (are unruly/do not submit to authority) and [do] all kinds of evil things.
car là où il y a zèle et esprit de dispute, il y a du désordre et toutes sortes de mauvaises choses;
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].
tandis que la sagesse qui vient d'en haut est premièrement pure, ensuite paisible, douce, traitable, pleine de miséricorde et de bons fruits, sans partialité, sans hypocrisie:
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].
le fruit de justice se sème dans la paix par ceux qui apportent la paix.
