< Yakobo 3 >

1 Nɔvinye lɔlɔ̃awo, mia dometɔ geɖewo megabu wo ɖokuiwo nufialawoe o, elabena mienyae be mí ame siwo nye nufialawo la, woadrɔ̃ ʋɔnu mí vevie wu ame bubuwo.
Do not all be teachers, my brothers, because we teachers will be judged more hardly than others.
2 Elabena mía dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe daa vo le mɔ geɖewo nu. Ne ame aɖe medaa vo le nuƒoƒo me o la, eyae nye ame si de blibo, ale wòtea ŋu dea ga eƒe ŋutilã blibo la.
For we all go wrong in a number of things. If a man never makes a slip in his talk, then he is a complete man and able to keep all his body in control.
3 Numega sue si míedea sɔwo ƒe nu me la, eyae nana be woɖoa to mí, eye míetea ŋu trɔa lã blibo la ɖe afi sia afi.
Now if we put bits of iron into horses' mouths so that they may be guided by us, we have complete control of their bodies.
4 Mítsɔ tɔdziʋu gãwo abe kpɔɖeŋu ene. Togbɔ be wololo gãa, eye ya sesẽwo hea wo hã la, kuɖɔ sue aɖe si le ʋua gɔme lae kuɖɔɖola la zãna, tsɔna trɔa tɔdziʋu gã la ƒe mo ɖe afi sia afi si wòdi be tɔdziʋu gã la nayi la.
And again ships, though they are so great and are moved by violent winds, are turned by a very small guiding-blade, at the impulse of the man who is using it.
5 Nenema ke, ame ƒe aɖe nye ŋutinu sue aɖe ko, gake etea ŋu ƒoa adegbe gã. Mikpɔ ale si dzoxi sue aɖe tea ŋu tɔa dzo ave gãwoe la ɖa.
Even so the tongue is a small part of the body, but it takes credit for great things. How much wood may be lighted by a very little fire!
6 Aɖe ŋutɔ hã nye dzo; enye xexeme vɔ̃ɖi le ŋutinuwo dome. Egblẽa ameti blibo la dome. Etɔa dzo ame ƒe agbenɔnɔ blibo la, eye mlɔeba la, wòtɔa dzo eya ŋutɔ hã le dzomavɔʋe me. (Geenna g1067)
And the tongue is a fire; it is the power of evil placed in our bodies, making all the body unclean, putting the wheel of life on fire, and getting its fire from hell. (Geenna g1067)
7 Amegbetɔ ate ŋu amla lã ɖe sia ɖe ƒomevi, xeviwo, nutatawo kple tɔmelãwo siaa,
For every sort of beast and bird and every living thing on earth and in the sea has been controlled by man and is under his authority;
8 gake ame aɖeke mate ŋu amla ame ƒe aɖe o. Enye aɖi vɔ̃ɖi si dzi womate ŋu aɖu o.
But the tongue may not be controlled by man; it is an unresting evil, it is full of the poison of death.
9 Míetsɔa míaƒe aɖe kafua míaƒe Aƒetɔ kple Fofo la, eye míegatsɔa aɖe ma ke ƒoa fi dea amegbetɔ si wowɔ ɖe Mawu ƒe nɔnɔme me.
With it we give praise to our Lord and Father; and with it we put a curse on men who are made in God's image.
10 Kafukafu kple fiƒode dona tso ame ƒe nu ɖeka ma ke me. Ke nɔvinyewo, le nyateƒe me la, mele be wòanɔ alea o.
Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, it is not right for these things to be so.
11 Ɖe vudo ɖeka ate ŋu adzi tsi vivi kple dzetsia?
Does the fountain send from the same outlet sweet and bitter water?
12 Nɔvinyewo, ɖe gboti ate ŋu atse amikutsetsewo alo wainka ate ŋu atse gbowoa? Gbeɖe, dzetsivudo hã mate ŋu adzi tsi vivi o.
Is a fig-tree able to give us olives, my brothers, or do we get figs from a vine, or sweet water from the salt sea?
13 Ame kae nye nunyala kple nugɔmesela le mia dome? Neɖee fia to agbe nyui nɔnɔ kple dɔ siwo wòwɔ le ɖokuibɔbɔ si tsoa nunya me la me.
Who has wisdom and good sense among you? let him make his works clear by a life of gentle wisdom.
14 Ke ne míaƒe dzi yɔ fũu kple ŋuʋaʋã vɔ̃ɖi kple ɖokuitɔdidi la, esia meganye adegbe míanɔ ƒoƒom alo agbe nyateƒe la o.
But if you have bitter envy in your heart and the desire to get the better of others, have no pride in this, talking falsely against what is true.
15 “Nunya” sia tɔgbi metso dziƒo o, ke boŋ etso anyigba dzi afi sia, eye wònye nu si tso Abosam gbɔ, eye eŋuti mekɔ o,
This wisdom is not from heaven, but is of the earth and the flesh and the Evil One.
16 elabena afi si ŋuʋaʋã kple ɖokuitɔdidi vivivo le la, afi ma masɔmasɔ kple nu vlo ɖe sia ɖe wɔwɔ nɔna.
For where envy is, and the desire to get the better of others, there is no order, but every sort of evil-doing.
17 Ke nunya si tso dziƒo la, gbã la, ele dzadzɛe, eye wòlɔ̃a tomefafa. Efana na ame bubuwo, ebɔbɔa eɖokui, eye wòyɔ fũu kple nublanuikpɔkpɔ. Kpe ɖe esiawo ŋuti la, etsea ku nyuiwo, medea ame dzi o, eye wòwɔa nu si le eteƒe.
But the wisdom which is from heaven is first holy, then gentle, readily giving way in argument, full of peace and mercy and good works, not doubting, not seeming other than it is.
18 Ŋutifafame siwo ƒãa ŋutifafa la, xaa dzɔdzɔenyenye ƒe kutsetse.
And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace for those who make peace.

< Yakobo 3 >