Jakob 3
1 Koeinaakhqi, nami mah ak khuiawh cawngpyikungkhqi na koeh awm law khawnghak uh, kawtih thlang ak cawngpyikhqi ing awidengnaak ak tlo khqoet hu kawm uh, tice sim hawh uhyk ti.
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 Ningmih boeih ve ning bah uhy. U awm awi ak kqawn awh ama thawlh qoe mantaw, anih cetaw thlak soep na awm kaw, a pum boeih ak ukteem thai thlang na awm kaw.
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 Awi ang ngainaak aham meqang am khak khuiawh thi ve tehca nik chan peeknaak ak caming, meqang pum boeih ce ni hawi ni hel thai hy.
[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 Ce am awhtaw lawng ak bau soeih ce nyhtahnaak na haw na lah sih. Bau soeih nawh zilh ak tha ak awm soeih ing ni a khyn thai hy, cehlai lawng ak kaihkung ing a kaihnaak ve tehca ing ni a ngaihnaak amyihna a ceh sak thai hy.
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 Cemyih lawtna lai ve pum awh ve tehca ni a law hy, cehlai oek qu soeih hy. Mai kqawng ve tehca ing ni kqawnghukhqi a uih pheng pheng hy tice poek lah uh.
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 Lai ve awm mai ni, pum ak khuiawh ak che ik-oeih pynoet na awm hy. Lai ing thlak che na thlang coeng sak hy, a hqingnaak boeih ce mai awh phum sak nawh amah ce awm hell na tlaak sak hy. (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 Qamsa boeih boeih phakhqi, ak cawlh ak tat thai boeih ingkaw tui khuiawh kaw ak awm qamsakhqi awm thlang ing phep thai hy,
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 cehlai lai ve u ingawm am phep thai hy. Lai vetaw ik-oeih che amak dym qoe, thihnaak ak chy ing ak be na awm hy.
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 Nim lai ing ningnih a Bawipa ingkaw Pa ce nim kyih unawh, Khawsa myi ak lo na a sai thlang ce haih theet nawn bai hy.
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 Kha pynoet ak khuiawh kawng kyihcahnaak ingkaw tuui haw lawnaak ce thoeng law bawk hy. Koeinaakhqi, vemyihna a awm aham am hlai ni.
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 Tui a phytnaak pynoet awhkawng tui al ingkaw tuih tui ak cawn haih thai nu?
Surely bitter water and good water do not come out of the same spring! [RHQ]
12 Koeinaakhqi, thai thing awh olive ak qah hly thai nu, am awhtaw misur awh thai ak qah hly thai nu? Ci a tui a phytnaak awhkawng ityk awh awm tuih tui am awm thai kaw.
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 Nangmih ak khuiawh u nu ak cyi nawh ak thoem? Cawhtaw a khawboe leeknaak ing dang sak seh, cyihnaak awhkawng ak law kawdungnaak ing ik-oeih sai seh.
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 Cehlai thlang ytnaak ingkaw ak pyh ngaihnaak ce kawlung khuiawh nami be sak awhtaw, koeh oek qu nawh ak thym ce koeh oelh.
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 Cemyih cyihnaak ce khan benna kawng am law hy, khawmdek benawh kawng ni a law hy, myihla ben ik-oeih am nawh, amak leek ik-oeih ni.
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 Thlang ytnaak ingkaw ak pyh ngaihnaak a awmnaak hoei awh am qoep qunaak ingkaw ak che ik-oeih soepkep sainaak ce hu kawm uk ti.
[Keep in mind that] people who have such attitudes (are unruly/do not submit to authority) and [do] all kinds of evil things.
17 Cehlai khan benna kawng ak law cyihnaak taw ciimcaih hy; qoepnaak ak lungnaak, khaw ak poek thai, thlang ak kaina ak awm, qeennaak ing ak be nawh ak thaih leek ak qah, peknaak amak ta ingkaw kawlung dyng ak ta na awm hy.
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 Roepnaak camci ak saw qoepnaak ak saikungkhqi taw dyngnaak ce aat kawm uh.
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].
