The Tongue
1 My friends, not many of you should become teachers. As you know, we teachers will be judged with greater strictness than others. 2 All of us often make mistakes. But if a person never makes a mistake in what he says, he is perfect and is also able to control his whole being. 3 We put a bit into the mouth of a horse to make it obey us, and we are able to make it go where we want. 4 Or think of a ship: big as it is and driven by such strong winds, it can be steered by a very small rudder, and it goes wherever the pilot wants it to go. 5 So it is with the tongue: small as it is, it can boast about great things.
Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame! 6 And the tongue is like a fire. It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies and spreading evil through our whole being. It sets on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from hell itself. 7 We humans are able to tame and have tamed all other creatures—wild animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 8 But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison. 9 We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God. 10 Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen! 11 No spring of water pours out sweet water and bitter water from the same opening. 12 A fig tree, my friends, cannot bear olives; a grapevine cannot bear figs, nor can a salty spring produce sweet water.
The Wisdom from Above
13 Are there any of you who are wise and understanding? You are to prove it by your good life, by your good deeds performed with humility and wisdom. 14 But if in your heart you are jealous, bitter, and selfish, don't sin against the truth by boasting of your wisdom. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from heaven; it belongs to the world, it is unspiritual and demonic. 16 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil. 17 But the wisdom from above is pure first of all; it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy. 18 And goodness is the harvest that is produced from the seeds the peacemakers plant in peace.
Ŋen ŋəd̶ëndia d̶oŋəla
1 Ya lorldaiñ, ñerṯe ñaŋgiṯia led̶a lwaiña eñaŋ alɽeṯe led̶a ildi ləbërrəŋaid̶ia ŋen, ŋen ŋanṯa ñagaləŋeṯo ṯa nanda ñəŋgi ñagəbërrəŋaicia led̶a ŋen ñagid̶i ñakəməni ŋenŋa ŋubwa ñagəməñaṯo led̶a lwomən. 2 Nëndr pred̶ ləgid̶r mənna ñoman ñwaiña, na ndə ed̶a gənəŋ gero gəbəd̶ia mənna eŋen gəɽwata gënəŋu gəɽiñəd̶einu, na gaɽwad̶aṯa gəbëkëndia aŋəno yilëɽəŋu eŋen pred̶. 3 Ndə ləgəbëɽiar nəmərṯa ŋəbəɽia ëiñua ṯa andənaṯr, ləgnrəked̶iar aŋəno esen pred̶. Emərṯa gerṯe ŋəbəɽia ëiñua 4 Na upəndria geŋau com igi goɽra na d̶əbera d̶əlṯwad̶a orn gënəŋulu garəked̶ənia laŋgela lərresi kaiñ eŋen pred̶ iŋi led̶a lwonaṯa ɽrəked̶ia. 5 Nṯia com, d̶əŋəla d̶aɽo waŋge gətëfr na d̶ëminia eŋen ŋoɽra. Seicr ista yitëfr kaiñ yaɽwad̶aṯa yuɽia d̶əñwa alo yebərano kaiñ!
6 Na d̶əŋəla d̶arno isia na d̶aɽo alo eŋen ŋeicia elaŋge ləŋano pred̶ fəd̶əŋəla id̶i d̶əbəd̶ia aŋəno pred̶ yetaŋa, na d̶auɽia ŋen ŋəd̶əməṯia na d̶ëɽənu isia isi yeṯo alo eŋen ŋubwa kaiñ. 7 Ed̶a gaɽwad̶aṯa gələŋəd̶eicia d̶wala pred̶ na ndəña pred̶ na laŋge lərraɽalo na ləmme, 8 orn ed̶a gero gənəŋ gəɽwad̶aṯa gələŋəd̶eicia d̶əŋəla, Đënəŋu d̶eicia na ed̶a gero gənəŋ gəɽwad̶aṯa gəd̶ama, na d̶undeinu ŋəsiaŋa iŋi ŋəɽiñəd̶ia. 9 Fəd̶əŋəla id̶i ləgiabuŋṯiar Eləŋ Rəmwa na Đaṯa igëndr, na id̶i ləgiaboŋar led̶a ildi lid̶ənu larno Rəmwa. 10 Egëiñua yento yamiña d̶əbuŋṯiano na d̶əboŋa. Lorldaiñ, gəbanṯa ŋen ŋero ŋəbəd̶ənia ŋəɽo ṯia. 11 Gaɽe d̶oro d̶aɽwad̶aṯa d̶orwaiñəd̶aṯa ŋawa ŋaiñəla na ŋeɽe ed̶oro d̶onto? 12 Lorldaiñ, gaɽe ebəd̶a gaɽwad̶aṯa gərldia ŋəɽwateria nad̶ətəmwa d̶əɽwad̶aṯa d̶ərldia ŋəbəd̶a? Nṯia com ŋawa ŋəd̶əña ŋero ŋəɽwad̶aṯa ŋid̶i aŋaiñəleṯe.
Đələŋeṯa ŋen nəsi d̶elo
13 Ǝsëgi eñaŋ gələŋeṯo ŋen nəsi na gələŋeṯo ŋen ŋopia? Ŋgiṯu d̶əməṯia d̶ame d̶əlëɽəŋu ad̶ërrəŋaid̶i ŋəmëɽria ŋəlëɽəŋu d̶əd̶ərnaṯad̶a aralo d̶əd̶ələŋeṯa ŋen nəsi. 14 Orn ndə ñagerṯo ŋen ŋeɽe ŋəd̶əgeiyaica ŋen na d̶wonaṯa d̶əŋaŋwar enare enalo, ñerṯe ñagëminia bəɽan na ñerṯe ñagəgəbiṯia ŋenalo ŋəd̶eṯəm. 15 Gerṯe d̶ələŋeṯa ŋen nəsi id̶i d̶irəwa elo, orn d̶alo, na d̶aŋəno, na d̶anusila neicia. 16 Ndə d̶əgeiyaca ŋen na d̶wonaṯa d̶əŋaŋwar ləfo, ŋen ŋid̶i aŋəfeṯe ŋurəgəd̶u na ŋen pred̶ iŋi ŋeicia com. 17 Orn d̶ələŋeṯa ŋen nəsi id̶i d̶eṯo elo ananoŋ d̶atəɽe, na d̶amama d̶ëuṯaralo, na d̶əd̶ərnaṯaralo, na d̶ənna ŋen, na d̶unḏeinu ŋəbaiyano, na d̶aləŋa d̶əŋəra, na d̶ero d̶əɽəbəd̶ia nara, na d̶ero ŋeniano ŋəɽiano. 18 Na d̶əd̶urwaṯa eŋen d̶aɽo d̶wanḏa elaŋge ildi ləwëd̶ənu id̶ëuṯa aralo led̶ala ildi ləbəd̶ia d̶ëuṯaralo.