Yakobo 2
1 Ndugu zangu, kama waaminio katika imani ya Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo, Bwana wa utukufu, msiwe na upendeleo kwa watu.
My friends, are you really trying to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with discrimination?
2 Kwa maana kama akija mtu katika kusanyiko lenu akiwa amevaa pete ya dhahabu na mavazi mazuri, pia akaingia mtu maskini mwenye mavazi yaliyochakaa,
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 nanyi mkampa heshima yule aliyevaa mavazi mazuri na kumwambia, “Keti hapa mahali pazuri,” lakini yule maskini mkamwambia, “Wewe simama pale,” au “Keti hapa sakafuni karibu na miguu yangu,”
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 je, hamjawabagua na kuwa mahakimu mioyoni mwenu mkihukumu kwa mawazo yenu maovu?
Haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves, and used evil standards of judgement?
5 Ndugu zangu, sikilizeni: Je, Mungu hakuwachagua wale walio maskini machoni pa ulimwengu kuwa matajiri katika imani na kuurithi Ufalme aliowaahidi wale wampendao?
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 Lakini ninyi mmemdharau yule aliye maskini. Je, hao matajiri si ndio wanaowadhulumu na kuwaburuta mahakamani?
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 Je, si wao wanaolikufuru Jina lile lililo bora sana mliloitiwa?
Isn’t it they who malign that honourable name spoken over you at your baptism?
8 Kama kweli mnaitimiza ile sheria ya kifalme inayopatikana katika Maandiko isemayo, “Mpende jirani yako kama unavyoipenda nafsi yako,” mnafanya vyema.
If you keep the royal law which runs – “You must love your neighbour as you love yourself,” you are doing right;
9 Lakini kama mnakuwa na upendeleo kwa watu, mnatenda dhambi, na sheria inawahukumu kuwa ninyi ni wakosaji.
but, if you discriminate, you commit a sin, and stand convicted by that same law of being offenders against it.
10 Kwa maana mtu yeyote anayeishika sheria yote lakini akajikwaa katika kipengele kimoja tu, ana hatia ya kuivunja sheria yote.
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 Kwa sababu yeye aliyesema, “Usizini,” alisema pia, “Usiue.” Basi kama huzini lakini unaua, umekuwa mvunjaji wa sheria.
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 Hivyo semeni na kutenda kama watu watakaohukumiwa kwa sheria ile iletayo uhuru.
Therefore, speak and act as people who are to be judged by the “Law of freedom.”
13 Kwa kuwa hukumu bila huruma itatolewa kwa mtu yeyote asiyekuwa na huruma. Huruma huishinda hukumu.
For there will be justice without mercy for the person who has not acted mercifully. Mercy triumphs over Justice.
14 Ndugu zangu, yafaa nini ikiwa mtu atadai kuwa anayo imani lakini hana matendo? Je, imani kama hiyo yaweza kumwokoa?
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 Ikiwa ndugu yako au dada hana mavazi wala chakula,
Suppose some brother or sister should be in need of clothes and of daily bread,
16 mmoja wenu akamwambia, “Enenda zako kwa amani, ukaote moto na kushiba,” pasipo kumpatia yale mahitaji ya mwili aliyopungukiwa, yafaa nini?
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 Vivyo hivyo, imani peke yake kama haikuambatana na matendo, imekufa.
In just the same way faith, if not followed by actions, is, by itself, a lifeless thing.
18 Lakini mtu mwingine atasema, “Wewe unayo imani; mimi ninayo matendo.” Nionyeshe imani yako pasipo matendo nami nitakuonyesha imani yangu kwa matendo.
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 Unaamini kwamba kuna Mungu mmoja. Vyema! Hata mashetani yanaamini hivyo na kutetemeka.
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 Ewe mpumbavu! Je, wataka kujua kwamba imani bila matendo haifai kitu?
Now do you really want to understand, fool, how it is that faith without actions leads to nothing?
21 Je, Abrahamu baba yetu hakuhesabiwa haki kwa kile alichotenda, alipomtoa mwanawe Isaki madhabahuni?
Look at our ancestor, Abraham. Was he not justified by his actions after he had offered his son, Isaac, on the altar?
22 Unaona jinsi ambavyo imani yake na matendo yake vilikuwa vinatenda kazi pamoja, nayo imani yake ikakamilishwa na kile alichotenda.
You see how, in his case, faith and actions went together; that his faith was perfected as the result of his actions;
23 Kwa njia hiyo yakatimizwa yale Maandiko yasemayo, “Abrahamu alimwamini Mungu na ikahesabiwa kwake kuwa haki,” naye akaitwa rafiki wa Mungu.
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 Mnaona ya kwamba mtu huhesabiwa haki kwa yale anayotenda wala si kwa imani peke yake.
You see, then, that a person is justified by actions, and not by faith alone.
25 Vivyo hivyo, hata Rahabu, yule kahaba, hakuhesabiwa haki kwa yale aliyotenda alipowapokea wale wapelelezi na kuwaambia waende njia nyingine?
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 Kama vile ambavyo mwili pasipo roho umekufa, kadhalika nayo imani pasipo matendo imekufa.
Just as a body is dead without a spirit, so faith is dead without actions.
