Yakobo 2
1 Ndugu zangu, mkiwa mnamwamini Bwana Yesu Kristo, Bwana wa utukufu, msiwabague watu kamwe.
My friends, are you really trying to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with discrimination?
2 Tuseme mtu mmoja ambaye amevaa pete ya dhahabu na mavazi nadhifu anaingia katika mkutano wenu, na papo hapo akaingia mtu maskini aliyevaa mavazi machafu.
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 Ikiwa mtamstahi zaidi yule aliyevaa mavazi ya kuvutia na kumwambia: “Keti hapa mahali pazuri,” na kumwambia yule maskini: “Wewe, simama huko,” au “Keti hapa sakafuni miguuni pangu,”
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, huo si ubaguzi kati yenu? Je, na huo uamuzi wenu haujatokana na fikira mbaya?
Haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves, and used evil standards of judgement?
5 Ndugu zangu wapenzi, sikilizeni! Mungu amechagua watu ambao ni maskini katika ulimwengu huu ili wapate kuwa matajiri katika imani na kupokea Utawala aliowaahidia wale wanaompenda.
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 mnawadharau watu maskini! Je, matajiri si ndio wanaowakandamizeni na kuwapeleka 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 haohao wanaolitukana hilo jina lenu zuri mlilopewa?
Isn’t it they who malign that honourable name spoken over you at your baptism?
8 Kama mnaitimiza ile sheria ya Utawala kama ilivyoandikwa katika Maandiko Matakatifu: “Mpende binadamu mwenzako kama unavyojipenda wewe mwenyewe”, mtakuwa mnafanya vema kabisa.
If you keep the royal law which runs – “You must love your neighbour as you love yourself,” you are doing right;
9 Lakini mkiwabagua watu, basi, mwatenda dhambi, nayo Sheria inawahukumu ninyi kuwa mna hatia.
but, if you discriminate, you commit a sin, and stand convicted by that same law of being offenders against it.
10 Anayevunja amri mojawapo ya Sheria, atakuwa na 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 Maana yuleyule aliyesema: “Usizini,” alisema pia “Usiue”. Kwa hiyo, hata ikiwa hukuzini lakini umeua, wewe umeivunja 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 Basi, semeni na kutenda kama watu watakaohukumiwa kwa sheria iletayo uhuru.
Therefore, speak and act as people who are to be judged by the “Law of freedom.”
13 Maana, Mungu hatakuwa na huruma atakapomhukumu mtu asiyekuwa na huruma. Lakini huruma hushinda hukumu.
For there will be justice without mercy for the person who has not acted mercifully. Mercy triumphs over Justice.
14 Ndugu zangu, kuna faida gani mtu kusema ana imani, lakini haonyeshi kwa vitendo? Je, hiyo imani yawezaje 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 Tuseme kaka au dada hana nguo au chakula.
Suppose some brother or sister should be in need of clothes and of daily bread,
16 Yafaa kitu gani ninyi kuwaambia hao: “Nendeni salama mkaote moto na kushiba,” bila kuwapatia mahitaji yao ya maisha?
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 bila matendo imekufa.
In just the same way faith, if not followed by actions, is, by itself, a lifeless thing.
18 Lakini mtu anaweza kusema: “Wewe unayo imani, mimi ninayo matendo!” Haya! Nionyeshe jinsi mtu anavyoweza kuwa na imani bila matendo, nami nitakuonyesha imani yangu kwa matendo yangu.
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 Je, wewe unaamini kwamba yuko Mungu mmoja? Sawa! Lakini hata pepo huamini hilo, na hutetemeka kwa hofu.
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 Mpumbavu wee! Je, wataka kuonyeshwa kwamba imani bila matendo imekufa?
Now do you really want to understand, fool, how it is that faith without actions leads to nothing?
21 Je, Abrahamu baba yetu alipataje kukubalika mbele yake Mungu? Kwa matendo yake, wakati alipomtoa mwanae Isaka sadaka juu ya madhabahu.
Look at our ancestor, Abraham. Was he not justified by his actions after he had offered his son, Isaac, on the altar?
22 Waona basi, kwamba imani yake iliandamana na matendo yake; imani yake ilikamilishwa kwa matendo yake.
You see how, in his case, faith and actions went together; that his faith was perfected as the result of his actions;
23 Hivyo yakatimia yale Maandiko Matakatifu yasemayo: “Abrahamu alimwamini Mungu na kwa imani yake akakubaliwa kuwa mtu mwadilifu; na hivyo Abrahamu 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 basi, kwamba mtu hukubaliwa kuwa mwadilifu kwa matendo yake na si kwa imani peke yake.
You see, then, that a person is justified by actions, and not by faith alone.
25 Ilikuwa vivyo hivyo kuhusu yule malaya Rahabu; yeye alikubaliwa kuwa mwadilifu kwa sababu aliwapokea wale wapelelezi na kuwasaidia waende zao kwa kupitia 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 Basi, kama vile mwili bila roho umekufa, vivyo hivyo imani bila matendo imekufa.
Just as a body is dead without a spirit, so faith is dead without actions.
