< James 3 >

1 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].
Kei tokomaha koutou ki te whakaako, e oku teina, e matau ana hoki koutou rahi ake te he e tau ki a tatou.
2 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].
He maha hoki nga mea e tapepa ai tatou katoa. Ki te kore tetahi e tapepa i te kupu, he tino tika tena tangata, e taea ano e ia te paraire te tinana katoa.
3 [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].
Na, ka panga nei e tatou nga paraire ki nga mangai o nga hoiho, kia rongo ai ratou ki a tatou; a pareparea ana e tatou to ratou tinana katoa.
4 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].
Whakaaroa nga kaipuke, nga mea nunui rawa nei, he mea aki nei e nga hau kaha, heoi e pareparea ana e te urungi nohinohi rawa ki te wahi e hiahia ai te hinengaro o te kaiurungi:
5 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.
Waihoki ko te arero he wahi nohinohi ia, nui atu hoki tona whakapehapeha. Nana, te nui o te wahie e whakaungia ana e te ahi nohinohi!
6 [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)
He kapura ano hoki te arero, ko te ao maori o te kino: pera tonu te arero i roto i o tatou wahi, poke iho i a ia te tinana katoa, ngiha ana i a ia huri noa nga mea katoa o te tangata, he mea whakau ano ia na te reinga. (Geenna g1067)
7 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,
Ko nga momo kararehe katoa hoki, ko nga manu, ko nga mea ngokingoki, ko nga mea i te moana, e whakararatatia ana, kua whakararatatia ano hoki i mua e te tangata:
8 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.
Ko te arero ia e kore tena e taea e tetahi tangata te whakarata; he kino ia e kore e taea te pehi, ki tonu i te wai whakamate.
9 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].
Ko ta tatou mea ia hei whakapai i te Atua, i te Matua; ko ta tatou mea ano ia hei kanga i nga tangata, i hanga kia rite ki te Atua.
10 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!
Kotahi tonu te mangai puta ake ana i roto ko te manaaki, ko te kanga. Ehara i te pai, e oku teina, kia penei enei mea.
11 Surely bitter water and good water do not come out of the same spring! [RHQ]
E pupu ake ana ranei i te puna ko te reka, ko te kawa, i roto i te poka kotahi?
12 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].
E hua ranei he oriwa ma te piki, e oku teina, he piki ranei ma te waina? e kore ano hoki e pupu ake i te wai tai he wai reka.
13 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].
Ko wai te tangata whakaaro nui, te tangata matau i roto i a koutou? ma tona whakahaere pai e whakaatu ana mahi, kei runga i te mahaki o te whakaaro nui.
14 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.
Tena ko tenei he hae nanakia to koutou, he totohe i roto i o koutou ngakau, kaua e whakamanamana, kaua hoki e teka ki te pono.
15 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]).
Ehara tenei matauranga i te mea e heke iho ana i runga; no te whenua ia, no te ngakau maori, no te rewera.
16 [Keep in mind that] people who have such attitudes (are unruly/do not submit to authority) and [do] all kinds of evil things.
I te wahi hoki e noho ai te hae me te totohe, ko reira ano te noho kino me nga mahi he katoa.
17 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].
Ko te matauranga ia o runga, he mea kinokore i te tuatahi, muri iho he rangimarie, he ngawari, he hohoro ki te whakarongo, ki tonu i te mahi tohu, i nga hua pai, kahore ana whiriwhiringa i te tangata, kahore ona tinihanga.
18 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].
A e ruia ana nga hua o te tika i roto i te rangimarie ma te hunga hohou rongo.

< James 3 >