Yakobo 3
1 Me nuanom, ɛnyɛ mo nyinaa na ɛsɛ sɛ moyɛ mo ho akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, monim sɛ yɛn akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ deɛ sɛ yɛfom a, wɔbɛbu yɛn atɛn a emu yɛ den sene afoforɔ.
Do not be eager, my brethren, for many among you to become teachers; for you know that we teachers shall undergo severer judgement.
2 Yɛn nyinaa taa yɛ mfomsoɔ. Onipa a ɔnyɛ mfomsoɔ wɔ deɛ ɔka mu no yɛ pɛ a ɔbɛtumi ahyɛ ne onipadua no so.
For we often stumble and fall, all of us. If there is any one who never stumbles in speech, that man has reached maturity of character and is able to curb his whole nature.
3 Yɛde nnareka to ɔpɔnkɔ anom sɛdeɛ ɔbɛtie yɛn na yɛatumi ama wakɔ baabiara a yɛpɛ sɛ ɔkɔ.
Remember that we put the horses' bit into their mouths to make them obey us, and so we turn their whole bodies round.
4 Anaasɛ dwene ɛhyɛn ho: sɛdeɛ ne kɛseɛ te a mframa a ano yɛ den na ɛbɔ no, nanso wɔtumi de akyerɛkyerɛkwan ketewaa bi na ɛdanedane no ma ɛkɔ baabi a hyɛnkafoɔ no pɛ sɛ ɛkɔ.
So too with ships, great as they are, and often driven along by strong gales, yet they can be steered with a very small rudder in whichever direction the caprice of the man at the helm chooses.
5 Saa ara na tɛkrɛma teɛ: ne ketewa yi nyinaa akyi, ɛtumi hoahoa nneɛma akɛseɛ. Hwɛ sɛdeɛ ogya ketewaa bi tumi hye kwaeɛ kɛseɛ.
In the same way the tongue is an insignificant part of the body, but it is immensely boastful. Remember how a mere spark may set a vast forest in flames.
6 Tɛkrɛma te sɛ ogya. Ɛwɔ tumi bɔne bi wɔ onipa akwaa mu. Ɛsɛe onipadua no nyinaa; ɛsɔ onipa abrabɔ nyinaa so ogya ma ɛdɛre framfram. (Geenna g1067)
And the tongue is a fire. That world of iniquity, the tongue, is placed within us spotting and soiling our whole nature, and setting the whole round of our lives on fire, being itself set on fire by Gehenna. (Geenna g1067)
7 Onipa tumi dwodwo mmoadoma, nnomaa, mmoa a wɔwea fam, ɛpo mu mmoa nyinaa,
For brute nature under all its forms--beasts and birds, reptiles and fishes--can be subjected and kept in subjection by human nature.
8 nanso obiara rentumi nnwodwo tɛkrɛma da. Ɛyɛ bɔne a ɔnhome so na awuduro ahyɛ no ma.
But the tongue no man or woman is able to tame. It is an ever-busy mischief, and is full of deadly poison.
9 Yɛde tɛkrɛma kamfo yɛn Awurade ne yɛn Agya na yɛde ɛno ara nso adome nnipa a wɔbɔɔ wɔn Onyankopɔn sɛso so.
With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in God's likeness.
10 Ano korɔ no ara mu na nkamfo ne nnome firi ba. Me nuanom, ɛnsɛ sɛ ɛba saa.
Out of the same mouth there proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be.
11 Nsuo pa ne nsuo a ɛyɛ nkyenenkyene bɛtumi afiri asutire baako mu aba?
In a fountain, are fresh water and bitter sent forth from the same opening?
12 Me nuanom, borɔdɔma dua bɛtumi aso ngo dua aba? Anaasɛ bobe bɛtumi aso borɔdɔma? Saa ara na asutire a ɛyɛ nkyenenkyene remma nsu pa.
Can a fig-tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine yield figs? No; and neither can salt water yield sweet.
13 Obi wɔ mo mu a ɔnim nyansa na ɔwɔ nteaseɛ? Ɛsɛ sɛ ɔnam abrabɔ pa, nnwuma pa a wɔnam ahobrɛaseɛ ne nyansa so da no adi.
Which of you is a wise and well-instructed man? Let him prove it by a right life with conduct guided by a wisely teachable spirit.
14 Na sɛ mowɔ nitan, mansotwe ne pɛsɛmenkomenya wɔ mo akoma mu a, ɛnneɛ ɛnsɛ sɛ mohoahoa mo ho, na nam so ka nkontompo tia nokorɛ.
But if in your hearts you have bitter feelings of envy and rivalry, do not speak boastfully and falsely, in defiance of the truth.
15 Saa nyansa yi mfiri ɔsoro na ɛbaeɛ. Ɛyɛ ewiase nyansa na ɛyɛ honhommɔne nso.
That is not the wisdom which comes down from above: it belongs to earth, to the unspiritual nature, and to evil spirits.
16 Baabiara a nitan ne pɛsɛmenkomenya wɔ no, basabasa ne bɔne ahodoɔ nyinaa bi wɔ hɔ.
For where envy and rivalry are, there also are unrest and every vile deed.
17 Nanso, nyansa a ɛfiri ɔsoro no yɛ kronkron; asomdwoeɛ wɔ mu, ɛdwo na ɛwɔ nidɔ; ɛwɔ ahummɔborɔ na nneyɛeɛ pa firi mu ba; ɛnnye akyinnyeɛ na ɛnyɛ nyaatwom nso.
The wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceful, courteous, not self-willed, full of compassion and kind actions, free from favouritism and from all insincerity.
18 Na ɛso aba pa a ɛfiri aba a asomdwoeɛfoɔ duaa no asomdwoeɛ mu no.
And peace, for those who strive for peace, is the seed of which the harvest is righteousness.
