Yakobo 3
1 Me nuanom, ɛnyɛ mo nyinaa na ɛsɛ sɛ moyɛ mo ho akyerɛkyerɛfo, efisɛ munim sɛ yɛn akyerɛkyerɛfo de, sɛ yɛfom a, wobebu yɛn atɛn a mu yɛ den sen afoforo.
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 Yɛn nyinaa taa yɛ mfomso. Onipa a ɔnyɛ mfomso wɔ nea ɔka mu no yɛ pɛ a obetumi ahyɛ ne nipadua no so.
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 Yɛde nnareka to ɔpɔnkɔ anom sɛnea obetie yɛn na yɛatumi ama wakɔ baabiara a yɛpɛ sɛ ɔkɔ.
[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 Anaasɛ dwene hyɛn ho; sɛnea ne kɛse te a mframa a ano yɛ den na ɛbɔ no, nanso wotumi de sitia ketewaa bi na ɛdannan no ma ɛkɔ baabi a hyɛnkafo no pɛ sɛ ɛkɔ no.
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 Saa ara na tɛkrɛma te; sua a esua nyinaa akyi no, etumi hoahoa ne ho. Hwɛ sɛnea ogya ketewaa bi si tumi hyew kwae kɛse.
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 Tɛkrɛma nso yɛ ogya, onipa akwaa mu nnebɔne wiase. Ɛsɛe nipadua no nyinaa; ɛsɔ onipa abrabɔ nyinaa so gya na nʼankasa nso ɔsɛe sɔ ne so gya. (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 Onipa tumi dwudwo mmoadoma, nnomaa, mmoa a wɔwea, po mu mmoa nyinaa,
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 nanso obiara rentumi nnwudwo tɛkrɛma da. Ɔyɛ ɔbɔnefo a ɔyɛ hagyahagya a awuduru ahyɛ no ma.
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 Yɛde tɛkrɛma kamfo yɛn Awurade ne yɛn Agya na yɛde ɛno ara nso adome nnipa a wɔbɔɔ wɔn Onyankopɔn sɛso so no.
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 Ano koro no ara mu na nkamfo ne nnome fi ba. Me nuanom, ɛnsɛ sɛ ɛba saa.
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 Nsu pa ne nsu a ɛyɛ nkyenenkyene betumi afi asuti baako mu aba ana?
Surely bitter water and good water do not come out of the same spring! [RHQ]
12 Me nuanom, borɔdɔma dua betumi asow ngodua aba ana? Anaasɛ bobe betumi asow borɔdɔma? Saa ara na asuti a ɛyɛ nkyenenkyene remma nsu pa.
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 Obi wɔ mo mu a onim nyansa na ɔwɔ ntease? Ɛsɛ sɛ ɔnam abrabɔ pa, nnwuma pa a wɔnam ahobrɛase ne nyansa so, da no adi.
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 Na sɛ mowɔ nitan, mansotwe ne pɛsɛmenkominya wɔ mo koma mu a, ɛno de ɛnsɛ sɛ mohoahoa mo ho, na mofa so ka nkontompo tia nokware.
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 Saa nyansa yi mfi ɔsoro na ɛbae. Ɛyɛ wiase nyansa na ɛyɛ honhommɔne nso.
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 Baabiara a nitan ne pɛsɛmenkominya wɔ no, basabasa ne bɔne ahorow nyinaa bi wɔ hɔ.
[Keep in mind that] people who have such attitudes (are unruly/do not submit to authority) and [do] all kinds of evil things.
17 Nanso nyansa a efi ɔsoro no yɛ kronkron; asomdwoe wɔ mu, edwo na ɛpɛ asomdwoe; ɛwɔ ahummɔbɔ na nneyɛe pa fi mu ba; ennye akyinnye na ɛnyɛ nyaatwom nso.
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 Na ɛsow aba pa a efi aba a asomdwoefo duaa no asomdwoe mu no mu.
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].
