Yakobu 2
1 Walongu wangu yamumjimira Mtuwa gwetu Yesu Kristu yakawera na ukwisa, namulanguziya ubagula kwa wantu.
My friends, are you really trying to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with discrimination?
2 Tulongi muntu yumu mweni kavala peti zya zahabu na nguwu ziherepa kingira mukuliwona kwenu, na palaa palii kingira muntu muhushu yakavaliti nguwu zidoda,
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 payiwera hammupanani ligoya nentu ulii yakavaliti nguwu zya kuherepa na kumgambira, “Gulivagi panu pahala paherepa,” na kumgambira muhushu ulii, “Gwenga, gugoloki kulii, ama gulivagi pasi.”
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 Hashi, awu uwera ndiri ubagula pakati penu? Hashi, na utoza wenu hawulawirani ndiri mumaholu madoda?
Haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves, and used evil standards of judgement?
5 Walongu wangu yanuwafira, mupikaniri! Mlungu kawasyagula wantu wahushu pasipanu su wapati kuwera walunda munjimiru na kwanka ufalumi Mlungu yakawalagiriti walii yawamfira.
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 Kumbiti mwenga mwankuwabeza wantu wahushu! Hashi, walunda ndo walii ndiri yawawayonera na kuwajega kushyotera motu?
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 Awa ndo walaa walii yawalihigilanga litawu lilii liherepa nentu lya Mtuwa ulii mwenga ndo wantu wakuwi.
Isn’t it they who malign that honourable name spoken over you at your baptism?
8 Handa pamulitenda weri lilagaliru lilii lya shifalumi ntambu yailembitwi Mumalembu Mananagala, “Gumfiri muyagu ntambu yagulifira gumweni,” mwankutenda weri.
If you keep the royal law which runs – “You must love your neighbour as you love yourself,” you are doing right;
9 Kumbiti pamuwabagula wantu, su mwankutenda vidoda, na lilagaliru lya Mlungu liwatoza kuwera mwenga mkosa.
but, if you discriminate, you commit a sin, and stand convicted by that same law of being offenders against it.
10 Muntu yakalilema lagaliru limu Mumalagaliru ga Mlungu, hakaweri na likosa lya kugalema Malagaliru goseri.
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 Toziya ulii yakalongiti “Naguhumba,” kalongiti vulaa “Nagulaga.” Su ata paguhumba ndiri kumbiti gulaga, gwenga gugalema Malagaliru goseri ga Mlungu.
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 Su mulongi na kutenda gambira wantu hawatozwi kwa malagaliru ga Mlungu yagajega ulekeru.
Therefore, speak and act as people who are to be judged by the “Law of freedom.”
13 Toziya Mlungu hapeni kaweri na lusungu pakamtoza muntu yakawera ndiri na lusungu. Kumbiti lusungu lwa Mlungu lukangi utoza.
For there will be justice without mercy for the person who has not acted mercifully. Mercy triumphs over Justice.
14 Walongu wangu, kwana mota gaa handa muntu pakalonga kawera na njimiru kumbiti kalanguziya ndiri kwa matendu? Kujimira aku kuweza hashi kumlopoziya?
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 Payiwera mlongu tunga mpalu ama mdala kahera nguwu ama shiboga,
Suppose some brother or sister should be in need of clothes and of daily bread,
16 hayiwatangi shishi kuwagambira awa, “Mgendi kwa ponga mukayoteri motu na kwikuta,” pota kuwapanana nfiru zyawu zya makaliru?
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 Ntambu iraa hayi, njimiru gweka yakuwi pota vitendu ifuwa.
In just the same way faith, if not followed by actions, is, by itself, a lifeless thing.
18 Kumbiti muntu kaweza kulonga, “Muntu yumu kawera na njimiru na muntu gwingi kawera na matendu” Hanankuli, “Gunanguziyi vilii muntu ntambu yakaweza kuwera na njimiru pota na matendu. Neni hanukulanguziyi njimiru yangu kwa matendu.”
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 Hashi, gwenga gujimira kuwera kwana Mlungu yumu? Teratera! Kumbiti ata washamshera wajimira ali, na kulendemera kwa lyoga.
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 Mzigizigi gwenga! Hashi, gufira kulanguziwa kuwera njimiru pota matendu ihowa?
Now do you really want to understand, fool, how it is that faith without actions leads to nothing?
21 Hashi, Aburahamu mbuyi gwetu kapata hashi kujimirwa kuwera mkamilika kulongolu kwa Mlungu? Kwa matendu gakuwi, shipindi pakamlaviyiti tambiku Isaka mwana gwakuwi pashitalawanda sha kutambikira.
Look at our ancestor, Abraham. Was he not justified by his actions after he had offered his son, Isaac, on the altar?
22 Guwona kuwera njimiru yakuwi matendu gakuwi gatendikiti pamuhera, na njimiru yakuwi iweriti teratera kwa shilii shakatenditi.
You see how, in his case, faith and actions went together; that his faith was perfected as the result of his actions;
23 Na Malembu Mananagala gatimiya ntambu yagalonga, “Aburahamu kamjimiriti Mlungu, su kwa njimiru yakuwi yomberi kajimiritwi kuwera muheri kulongolu kwa Mlungu,” na Aburahamu kashemitwi ganja gwa Mlungu.
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 Su mwona kuwera muntu kajimirwa ndiri kuwera mkamilika kulongolu kwa Mlungu kwa njimiru yakuwi hera kumbiti kwa matendu gakuwi.
You see, then, that a person is justified by actions, and not by faith alone.
25 Ntambu iraa ilii, kwa ulii mndiyandiya Rahabu, yomberi kajimiritwi na Mlungu kuwera mkamilika toziya yomberi kawashemiriti walolalola na kuwatanga wagendi zyawu kwa kupitira njira imonga.
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 Su, handa vilii nshimba pota rohu ihowa, ntambu iraa ilii njimiru pota matendu ifuwa.
Just as a body is dead without a spirit, so faith is dead without actions.
