Jaka 2
1 N kpiiba, yinba yaaba n daani ti Diedo Jesu Kilisiti yua n pia ti kpiagidi yeni, laa pundi yin ya tiendi mi gagidima bi niba siiga.
My friends, are you really trying to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with discrimination?
2 Min bagi yaala tie line: O nilo ya kua yi taanli nni ki pili wula ñoagibila, ki go yie ya tiadi n pia ti kpiagidi, o luodo mo n kua ki yie a kpacala.
Suppose a visitor should enter your synagogue, with gold rings and in grand clothes, and suppose a poor man should come in also, in shabby clothes,
3 Li ya tie ke yi jigini yua n yie ya tiayiekaadi n pia ti kpiagidi ki yedi o: “Kali ne ti jigidi kaanu,” ki yedi o luodo mo ya se ne” yaaka: “Kali tiipo n taana kani”.
and you show more respect to the visitor who is wearing grand clothes, and say – ‘There is a good seat for you here,’ but to the poor man – ‘You must stand; or sit down there by my footstool,’
4 Naani yii tieni mi gagidima yi yama nni ki go bigidi leni li yantiabiadili kaa?
Haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves, and used evil standards of judgement?
5 N kpibuadiba, cengi mani, naani U Tienu ki gandi yaaba n tie luoda ŋanduna nuni po ke ban tua piada li dandanli nni, ki go baa wan niani ke o baa pa yaaba n bua o kuli ya diema kaa?
Listen, my dear friends. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the things of this world to be rich through their faith, and to possess the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him?
6 Ama yinba, yi fali o luodo. Laa tie a piada kaa mabindi yi ki caani yi li bujiali kani?
But you – you insult the poor man! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you? Isn’t it they who drag you into law courts?
7 Bani kaa sugidi ya yeŋanli n ye yi niinni?
Isn’t it they who malign that honourable name spoken over you at your baptism?
8 Yi ya kubi U Tienu diema balimaama nani lan diani maama li ŋani, mani yaama n yedi: “ŋan bua a nisaali lielo nani ŋan bua a yuli maama.”
If you keep the royal law which runs – “You must love your neighbour as you love yourself,” you are doing right;
9 Ama yi ya tiendi mi gagidima bi niba siiga, yi tiendi ti tuonbiadi, li balimaama mo buni ki cuo yi kelima yi miidi ma.
but, if you discriminate, you commit a sin, and stand convicted by that same law of being offenders against it.
10 Kelima yua n kubi li balimaama ki nan miidi ba balimayenma bebe, pia i tagili mi kuli po.
For a person who has laid the Law, as a whole, to heart, but has failed in one particular, is accountable for breaking all its provisions.
11 Kelima yua n yedi: “ŋan da conbi” wani n go yedi: “ŋan da kpa o nilo” moko. Lanwani a yaa conbi ki nan kpa o nilo, a tua li balimaama miidikoa.
He who said “You must not commit adultery” also said “You must not murder.” If, then, you commit murder but not adultery, you are still an offender against the Law.
12 Yin ya maadi mani ki go tiendi, ki bani ke U Tienu baa jia leni yi ti buudi ki ŋua leni ya balimaama n puuni mi faabima.
Therefore, speak and act as people who are to be judged by the “Law of freedom.”
13 U Tienu ya jia ti buudi ya yogunu, o kan gbadi mi niŋima yaa nilo n kaa den gbadi mi niŋima o lielo po yaapo. Mi niŋigbadima paani li bujiali.
For there will be justice without mercy for the person who has not acted mercifully. Mercy triumphs over Justice.
14 N kpiiba, o nilo ya yedi ke o pia li dandanli ki naa pia a tuona, li pia be fuoma? Naani o dandanli yeni baa fidi ki tindi o bi?
My friends, what good is it if someone claims that they have faith, but they do not prove it by actions? Can such faith save them?
15 Li ya tie ke yi siiga joa bi pua luo ti tiayiekaadi ki go luo daali kuli bonjekaala,
Suppose some brother or sister should be in need of clothes and of daily bread,
16 ke yi siiga yendo yedi o: “Ya kuni leni mi yanduanma, ki ban yeli mi fantama ki go je ki guo,” ama ki naa puni o yaala n tie o yema po tiladi, li pia be fuoma?
and one of you says to them – ‘Go, and peace be with you; keep warm and eat well!’ and yet you do not actually give them the necessities of life, what good would it be to them?
17 Li tie yenma leni li dandanli: li yaa pia tuona li kpe.
In just the same way faith, if not followed by actions, is, by itself, a lifeless thing.
18 Ama nilo ya yedi: “Fini a pia li dandanli, n mo pia a tuona” n baa yedi o: “waani a dandanli yaali n kaa pia tuona n mo baa waani a n dandanli kelima n tuona po.”
Someone, indeed, may say – ‘You are a man of faith, and I am a man of action.’ ‘Then show me your faith,’ I reply, ‘apart from any actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions.’
19 A daani ke U Tienu ye ki tie yendo bebe, a tieni ke li ŋani. Ama mu cicibiadimu moko daani yeni ki jie ki digibi.
It is a part of your faith, is it not, that there is one God? Good; yet even the demons have that faith, and tremble at the thought.
20 Fini o yanluodaano na, naani a bua ki bandi ke ya dandanli n ki pia a tuona tie fanma bi?
Now do you really want to understand, fool, how it is that faith without actions leads to nothing?
21 Naani ti yaaja Abalaŋama ki den baa li moamoasaali kelima a tuona po wan den padi o biga Isaaka li padibinbinli po kaa?
Look at our ancestor, Abraham. Was he not justified by his actions after he had offered his son, Isaac, on the altar?
22 A laa ke o dandanli den taani ki yegi leni o tuona, ke o tuona yeni mo den teni ke o dandanli ŋani ki dagidi cain.
You see how, in his case, faith and actions went together; that his faith was perfected as the result of his actions;
23 Yeni i Diani n yedi yaala tieni: “Abalaŋama den daani U Tienu ke U Tienu den coadi opo la ke li tie teginma.” Bi den yi o U Tienu danli.
and that in this way the words of scripture came true – ‘Abraham believed God, and that was regarded by God as righteousness,’ and ‘He was called the friend of God.’
24 Yi laa, o nilo baa li moamoansaali kelima o tuona po, laa tie kelima o dandanli bebe po ka.
You see, then, that a person is justified by actions, and not by faith alone.
25 Li go tie yeni Laŋaba li poconconli po. O den baa li moamoansaali o tuona po, kelima o den ga bi tondiba cangu ki teni ke bi tagini santo ki kuni.
Wasn’t it the same with the prostitute, Rahab? Was she not justified by her actions, after she had welcomed the messengers and helped them escape by another road?
26 Lanwani, nani ya gbannandi n ki pia naano n kpe maama, ya dandanli n ki pia tuona moko kpe yene.
Just as a body is dead without a spirit, so faith is dead without actions.
