Giacomo 3
1 FRATELLI miei, non siate molti maestri; sapendo che noi ne riceveremo maggior condannazione.
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 Poichè tutti falliamo in molte cose; se alcuno non fallisce nel parlare, esso [è] uomo compiuto, [e] può tenere a freno eziandio tutto il corpo.
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 Ecco, noi mettiamo i freni nelle bocche de' cavalli, acciocchè ci ubbidiscano, e facciamo volgere tutto il corpo loro.
[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 Ecco ancora le navi, benchè sieno cotanto grandi, e che sieno sospinte da fieri venti, son volte con un piccolissimo timone, dovunque il movimento di colui che [le] governa vuole.
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 Così ancora la lingua è un piccol membro, e si vanta di gran cose. Ecco, un piccol fuoco quante legne incende!
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 La lingua altresì [è] un fuoco, [è] il mondo dell'iniquità; così dentro alle nostre membra è posta la lingua, la qual contamina tutto il corpo, e infiamma la ruota della vita, ed è infiammata dalla geenna. (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 Poichè ogni generazione di fiere, e d'uccelli, e di rettili, e d'animali marini, si doma ed è stata domata dalla natura umana;
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 ma niun uomo può domar la lingua; ella [è] un male che non si può rattenere; [è] piena di mortifero veleno.
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 Per essa benediciamo Iddio e Padre; e per essa malediciamo gli uomini, che son fatti alla simiglianza di Dio.
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 D'una medesima bocca procede benedizione e maledizione. Non bisogna, fratelli miei, che queste cose si facciano in questa maniera.
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 La fonte sgorga ella da una medesima buca il dolce e l'amaro?
Surely bitter water and good water do not come out of the same spring! [RHQ]
12 Può, fratelli miei, un fico fare ulive, o una vite fichi? così niuna fonte può gettare acqua salsa, e dolce.
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 CHI [è] savio e saputo, fra voi? mostri, per la buona condotta, le sue opere, con mansuetudine di sapienza.
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 Ma, se voi avete nel cuor vostro invidia amara e contenzione, non vi gloriate contro alla verità, e non mentite contro ad essa.
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 Questa non è la sapienza che discende da alto; anzi [è] terrena, animale, diabolica.
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 Perciocchè, dov'[è] invidia e contenzione, ivi [è] turbamento ed opera malvagia.
[Keep in mind that] people who have such attitudes (are unruly/do not submit to authority) and [do] all kinds of evil things.
17 Ma la sapienza che [è] da alto prima è pura, poi pacifica, moderata, arrendevole, piena di misericordia e di frutti buoni, senza parzialità, e senza ipocrisia.
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 Or il frutto della giustizia si semina in pace da coloro che si adoperano alla pace.
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].
