Eraka
1 Vakwetu vandje, a rire ko ovengi veṋu mbu mave rire ovahonge, tjinga amamu tjiwa nawa kutja eṱe mba mbu tu ri ovahonge, matu pangurwa ombanguriro onḓeu tjinene okukapita ovakwetu. 2 Eṱe atuhe tu tataiza moviṋa ovingi. Nungwari omundu tje ha tataiza momambo we kaparukaze, okutja eye omusore nu wina u nomasa okutjaera orutu rwe aruhe. 3 Eṱe tu twa mo ovitumbure movinyo vyoukambe kutja owo u zuve ku eṱe; komuhingo mbwi otji tu tumburira otutu twawo koṋa ku matu vanga. 4 Poo ngatu ripure nondjuwoyomomeva: Nandarire kutja oyo onene nai nu i hingwa i ombepo onamasa tjinene, oyo i hingwa nokatumbure okaṱiṱi koṋa omuhinge ku ma vanga. 5 Otjinga ape ri nao neraka romundu wina: Oro okaṋa okaṱiṱi, nungwari ri rihivira oviṋa ovinene.
Tara, nandarire okarurumo okaṱiṱi ke kamburisa otjihwa otjinene. 6 Neraka wina ra sana nomuriro; oro ra sana nouye mbwe ura nouhasemba; oro okaṋepo okaṱiṱi korutu, nungwari ke zunḓa orutu aruhe. Oro ri kamburisa ongarero yomundu aihe okuza kongwatero nga konḓiro nomuriro mbu za kotjomuriro. 7 Omundu ma yenene okuzeura ovipuka ngamwa avihe: Ovipuka vyokuti, nozonḓera na imbi mbi kokozoka pehi, nozohi. 8 Nungwari indi eraka kape nomundu ngu ma sora okurizeura; oro ouvi porwe mbu ha tjaerwa, nu re ura nouzuwo ouzepe. 9 Na indi eraka tu tanga Muhona na Tate yetu, nu wina na ro tu senga ovakwetu mba utwa kosaneno ya Ndjambi. 10 Ozondaya nozosengiro vi pitira motjinyo tjingetjo. Vakwetu, otjiṋa tji tja sana ngwi ngaa tji tjiwa! 11 Oruharwi karu pupisire omeva omawa nomeva omaruru monḓizira tjingeyo. 12 Vakwetu vandje, omukuyumbwa kau eta ozoṋinga, nomuvite kau eta omakuyu. Noruharwi rwotjongwa karu pupisa omeva omawa!
Ounongo mbu za ku Ndjambi
13 Mu nomundu omunaunongo nomunazondunge mokati keṋu are? Eye nge vi raise notjikaro tje otjiwa novitjitwa vye vyomerisusuparisiro novyounongo. 14 Nungwari momitima vyeṋu tji mu neruru nonyaho nozombata, amu rihivire ounongo weṋu, orondu tjinga amu hi nokuhungira ouatjiri. 15 Ounongo otja imbwi kau zu kOmbanda, nungwari owo owouye nowovandu nowozombepo ozohakohoke. 16 Pu pe neruru nozombata wina pe nomazunganeno nouvi ngamwa auhe. 17 Nungwari ounongo mbu za kOmbanda owo rutengatenga oukohoke, nu wina owo ounahange noukozu nu u nondjiririsa; owo we ura nounyaṋutima, nu u twako ovihape oviwa. Owo kau tjiti ombangu nu kau notjavivi. 18 Otjihape tjousemba tji za mozondwi nḓa, ovanahange nḓu ve kuna mohange.
The Tongue
1 My friends, we should not all try to become teachers. In fact, teachers will be judged more strictly than others. 2 All of us do many wrong things. But if you can control your tongue, you are mature and able to control your whole body.
3 By putting a bit into the mouth of a horse, we can turn the horse in different directions. 4 It takes strong winds to move a large sailing ship, but the captain uses only a small rudder to make it go in any direction. 5 Our tongues are small too, and yet they brag about big things.
It takes only a spark to start a forest fire! 6 The tongue is like a spark. It is an evil power that dirties the rest of the body and sets a person's entire life on fire with flames that come from hell itself. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures can be tamed and have been tamed. 8 But our tongues get out of control. They are restless and evil, and always spreading deadly poison.
9-10 My dear friends, with our tongues we speak both praises and curses. We praise our Lord and Father, and we curse people who were created to be like God, and this isn't right. 11 Can clean water and dirty water both flow from the same spring? 12 Can a fig tree produce olives or a grapevine produce figs? Does fresh water come from a well full of salt water?
Wisdom from Above
13 Are any of you wise or sensible? Then show it by living right and by being humble and wise in everything you do. 14 But if your heart is full of bitter jealousy and selfishness, don't brag or lie to cover up the truth. 15 This kind of wisdom doesn't come from above. It is earthly and selfish and comes from the devil himself. 16 Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things. 17 But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere. 18 When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice.
