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.
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 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.
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 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.
[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 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.
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 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.
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 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)
[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 Amegbetɔ ate ŋu amla lã ɖe sia ɖe ƒomevi, xeviwo, nutatawo kple tɔmelãwo siaa,
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 gake ame aɖeke mate ŋu amla ame ƒe aɖe o. Enye aɖi vɔ̃ɖi si dzi womate ŋu aɖu o.
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 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.
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 Kafukafu kple fiƒode dona tso ame ƒe nu ɖeka ma ke me. Ke nɔvinyewo, le nyateƒe me la, mele be wòanɔ alea o.
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 Ɖe vudo ɖeka ate ŋu adzi tsi vivi kple dzetsia?
Surely bitter water and good water do not come out of the same spring! [RHQ]
12 Nɔvinyewo, ɖe gboti ate ŋu atse amikutsetsewo alo wainka ate ŋu atse gbowoa? Gbeɖe, dzetsivudo hã mate ŋu adzi tsi vivi o.
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 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.
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 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 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 “Nunya” sia tɔgbi metso dziƒo o, ke boŋ etso anyigba dzi afi sia, eye wònye nu si tso Abosam gbɔ, eye eŋuti mekɔ o,
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 elabena afi si ŋuʋaʋã kple ɖokuitɔdidi vivivo le la, afi ma masɔmasɔ kple nu vlo ɖe sia ɖe wɔwɔ nɔna.
[Keep in mind that] people who have such attitudes (are unruly/do not submit to authority) and [do] all kinds of evil things.
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 [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 Ŋutifafame siwo ƒãa ŋutifafa la, xaa dzɔdzɔenyenye ƒe kutsetse.
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].
