1 K ei tokomaha koutou ki te whakaako, e oku teina, e matau ana hoki koutou rahi ake te he e tau ki a tatou.

My Christian brothers, not many of you should become teachers. If we do wrong, it will be held against us more than other people who are not teachers.

2 H e 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.

We all make many mistakes. If anyone does not make a mistake with his tongue by saying the wrong things, he is a perfect man. It shows he is able to make his body do what he wants it to do.

3 N a, 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.

We make a horse go wherever we want it to go by a small bit in its mouth. We turn its whole body by this.

4 W hakaaroa 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:

Sailing ships are driven by strong winds. But a small rudder turns a large ship whatever way the man at the wheel wants the ship to go.

5 W aihoki 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!

The tongue is also a small part of the body, but it can speak big things. See how a very small fire can set many trees on fire.

6 H e 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.

The tongue is a fire. It is full of wrong. It poisons the whole body. The tongue sets our whole lives on fire with a fire that comes from hell.

7 K o 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:

Men can make all kinds of animals and birds and fish and snakes do what they want them to do.

8 K o 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.

But no man can make his tongue say what he wants it to say. It is sinful and does not rest. It is full of poison that kills.

9 K o 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.

With our tongue we give thanks to our Father in heaven. And with our tongue we speak bad words against men who are made like God.

10 K otahi 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.

Giving thanks and speaking bad words come from the same mouth. My Christian brothers, this is not right!

11 E pupu ake ana ranei i te puna ko te reka, ko te kawa, i roto i te poka kotahi?

Does a well of water give good water and bad water from the same place?

12 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.

Can a fig tree give olives or can a grape-vine give figs? A well does not give both good water and bad water. Wisdom from Above

13 K o 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.

Who among you is wise and understands? Let that one show from a good life by the things he does that he is wise and gentle.

14 T ena 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.

If you have jealousy in your heart and fight to have many things, do not be proud of it. Do not lie against the truth.

15 E hara tenei matauranga i te mea e heke iho ana i runga; no te whenua ia, no te ngakau maori, no te rewera.

This is not the kind of wisdom that comes from God. But this wisdom comes from the world and from that which is not Christian and from the devil.

16 I te wahi hoki e noho ai te hae me te totohe, ko reira ano te noho kino me nga mahi he katoa.

Wherever you find jealousy and fighting, there will be trouble and every other kind of wrong-doing.

17 K o 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.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. Then it gives peace. It is gentle and willing to obey. It is full of loving-kindness and of doing good. It has no doubts and does not pretend to be something it is not.

18 A e ruia ana nga hua o te tika i roto i te rangimarie ma te hunga hohou rongo.

Those who plant seeds of peace will gather what is right and good.