James 1
1 James, a servant, of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, —unto the twelve tribes that are in the dispersion, Wishes joy.
Mimi Yakobo, mtumishi wa Mungu na wa Bwana Yesu Kristo, nawaandikia ninyi, makabila kumi na mawili, yaliyotawanyika ulimwenguni! Salaam!
2 All Joy, account it, my brethren, whensoever ye fall in with, manifold, temptations, —
Ndugu zangu, muwe na furaha mnapopatwa na majaribu mbalimbali,
3 Taking note, that, the proving of your faith, worketh out endurance;
kwani mwajua kwamba imani yenu ikisha stahimili, itawapatieni uvumilivu.
4 But let, your endurance, have, mature work, that ye may be mature and complete, in nothing, coming short.
Muwe na hakika kwamba uvumilivu wenu utawategemeza mpaka mwisho, mpate kuwa wakamilifu na watimilifu, bila kupungukiwa chochote.
5 But, if any of you is sinning short of wisdom, let him be asking of God, Who giveth unto all freely and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him;
Lakini kama mmoja wenu ametindikiwa hekima, basi, anapaswa kumwomba Mungu ambaye atampatia; kwani Mungu huwapa wote kwa wingi na kwa ukarimu.
6 But let him be asking in faith, nothing, doubting, for, he that doubteth, is like a wave of the sea, wind-driven and storm-tossed, —
Lakini anapaswa kuomba kwa imani bila mashaka yoyote. Mtu aliye na mashaka ni kama mawimbi ya bahari ambayo husukumwa na kutupwatupwa na upepo.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord—
Mtu wa namna hiyo, mwenye nia mbili na asiye na msimamo katika mwenendo wake wote,
8 A two-souled man, unstable in all his ways.
asidhani ya kwamba atapata chochote kile kutoka kwa Bwana.
9 But boasting be the lowly brother in his uplifting;
Ndugu aliye maskini anapaswa kufurahi wakati Mungu anapomkweza,
10 Whereas the rich, in his being brought low, —because, as a flower of grass, he will pass away;
naye tajiri anapaswa kufurahi anaposhushwa na Mungu. Maana tajiri atatoweka kama ua la porini.
11 For the sun hath sprung up, with it scorching heat, and hath withered the grass, and, the flower thereof, hath fallen out, and, the beauty of the face thereof, hath perished, —so, also the rich, in his goings, shall languish.
Jua huchomoza na kwa joto lake kali hukausha mimea, nayo maua yake huanguka, na uzuri wake wote huharibika. Vivyo hivyo, tajiri ataangamizwa katika shughuli zake.
12 Happy the man who endureth temptation! Because, becoming approved, he shall receive the crown of life—which he hath promised unto them that love him.
Heri mtu anayebaki mwaminifu katika majaribu, kwani akisha stahimili atapewa tuzo la uzima ambalo Mungu aliwaahidia wale wanaompenda.
13 Let, no one, while tempted, be saying—From God, am I tempted, —for, God, cannot be tempted by things evil, and, himself, tempteth no one;
Kama mtu akijaribiwa, asiseme: “Ninajaribiwa na Mungu.” Maana Mungu hawezi kujaribiwa na uovu, wala yeye hamjaribu mtu yeyote.
14 But, each one, is tempted, when, by his own coveting, he is drawn out and enticed,
Lakini mtu hujaribiwa anapovutwa na kunaswa na tamaa zake mbaya.
15 Then, the coveting, having conceived, giveth birth to sin, and, the sin, when full-grown, bringeth forth death.
Tamaa ikiiva huzaa dhambi; nayo dhambi ikikomaa huzaa kifo.
16 Be not deceived, my brethren beloved: —
Ndugu zangu wapenzi, msidanganyike!
17 Every good giving, and every perfect gift, is, from above, coming down from the Father of lights—with whom is no alternation, nor shadow cast, by turning:
Kila kipaji chema na kila zawadi kamilifu hutoka mbinguni; hutoka kwa Baba, Muumba wa mianga, ambaye habadiliki wala hana alama yoyote ya ugeugeu.
18 Because he was so minded, he hath brought us forth with a word of truth, to the end we should be a sort of firstfruit of his creatures
Kwa kupenda kwake mwenyewe alituzaa kwa neno lake la ukweli, ili tuwe namna ya matunda ya kwanza miongoni mwa viumbe vyake.
19 Ye know, my brethren beloved, —but let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
Ndugu zangu wapenzi, kumbukeni jambo hili! Kila mtu na awe mwepesi wa kusikia lakini asiwe mwepesi wa kusema wala mwepesi wa kukasirika.
20 For, man’s anger, worketh not, God’s righteousness.
Mwenye hasira hawezi kutimiza matakwa ya Mungu yaliyo ya haki.
21 Wherefore, putting away all filthiness and overflow of baseness, in meekness, welcome ye the word fitted for inward growth, which is able to save your souls:
Kwa hiyo, tupilieni mbali mwenendo mchafu na tabia zote mbovu; jiwekeni chini ya Mungu na kupokea ule ujumbe uliopandwa mioyoni mwenu, ambao waweza kuziokoa nafsi zenu.
22 Become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only—reasoning yourselves astray;
Msijidanganye wenyewe kwa kusikiliza tu neno lake, bali litekelezeni kwa vitendo.
23 Because, if any is, a word-hearer, and not a doer, the same, is like unto a man observing his natural face in a mirror, —
Yeyote anayesikiliza hilo neno lakini halitekelezi, huyo ni kama mtu anayejiangalia sura yake mwenyewe katika kioo.
24 For he observed himself, and is gone away, and, straightway, it hath escaped him, —what manner of man, he was!
Hujiangalia mwenyewe, kisha huenda zake, na mara husahau jinsi alivyo.
25 But, he that hath obtained a nearer view into the perfect law of liberty, and hath taken up his abode by it, becoming—not a forgetful hearer, but a work doer, the same, happy in his doing, shall be.
Lakini mtu anayeangalia kwa makini sheria kamilifu ambayo huwapa watu uhuru, mtu anayeendelea kuizingatia, na si kuisikia tu na kuisahau baadaye, bali anaitekeleza, mtu huyo atabarikiwa katika kila kitu anachofanya.
26 If any thinketh he is observant of religion, not curbing his own tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this one’s, religious observance is, vain:
Kama mtu akijiona kuwa ni mtu mwenye dini, lakini hawezi kuutawala ulimi wake, dini yake haifai kitu, na anajidanganya mwenyewe.
27 Religious observance, pure and undefiled with our God and Father, is, this—to be visiting orphans and widows in their affliction, unspotted, to keep, himself, from the world.
Dini iliyo safi na isiyo na hitilafu mbele ya Mungu Baba ni hii: Kuwasaidia yatima na wajane katika shida zao, na kujilinda mwenyewe usichafuliwe na ulimwengu huu.
