UJakhobe 1
1 UJakhobe inceku kaNkulunkulu leyeNkosi uJesu Khristu, Kuzo izizwana ezilitshumi lambili ezihlakazekele phakathi kwezizwe: Ngiyalibingelela.
[I], James, am a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. [I am writing this letter] to [all] the Jewish people [who trust in Christ] (OR, to all God’s people) who are scattered throughout the world. [I send my] greetings to [you all].
2 Bazalwane bami, lapho lisehlelwa yizilingo ezitshiyeneyo, kubaleni njengentokozo epheleleyo
My fellow believers, rejoice greatly, [even] when you experience various kinds of difficulties/troubles.
3 ngoba liyakwazi ukuthi ukuhlolwa kokholo lwenu kukhulisa ukubekezela.
[God sometimes allows you to experience difficulties in order to] test whether or not you will continue to trust [him. Whenever that happens, you need to] realize more and more that [if you continue to trust him], you will be able to bravely/patiently endure difficulties.
4 Ukubekezela kufanele kuwuqede umsebenzi wakho ukuze lina likhule njalo liphelele, lingasileli ngalutho.
Keep on enduring difficulties [bravely/patiently by trusting God more and more firmly] [PRS], in order that you may become all that he intends you to be [DOU] (OR, [spiritually] mature and complete), not lacking (any [good quality/anything you need to conduct your lives as God wants you to]).
5 Nxa omunye wenu eswela ukuhlakanipha kumele acele kuNkulunkulu onika bonke ngesihle engadinganga sici, ngempela uzakuphiwa.
If anyone of you does not know how to act wisely [in order to endure difficulties/trials well], he should ask God [to show him what he should do, because] God wholeheartedly/gladly helps all people [who ask] and does not scold [anyone for asking. Those who ask], God will give them wisdom to know [what they should do].
6 Kodwa lapho ecela kumele akholwe angathandabuzi ngoba othandabuzayo unjengegagasi lolwandle eliphetshulwa ngumoya uliphose.
But [when you] ask [God], you should firmly trust him. You should not doubt [that he wants to help you always], because people who keep doubting God are [unstable/changeable] [SIM] like a wave of the sea that is blown back and forth by the wind {that goes back and forth when the wind blows} [DOU, SIM].
7 Umuntu lowo akumelanga acabange ukuthi kulolutho azaluthola eNkosini;
Indeed, people [who doubt] should not think that the Lord [God] will do anything [that they request him to do],
8 ungumuntu ongqondombili, kazinzanga kukho konke akwenzayo.
[because they are] people who cannot decide [whether they will commit themselves to God, and they are] unstable/undecided in everything that they do.
9 Umzalwane olesimo esiphansi kumele aziqhenye ngesikhundla sakhe esiphezulu.
Believers who are poor should be happy [that God] considers them very valuable (OR, has exalted them [spiritually]) [MTY].
10 Kodwa lowo onothileyo kumele aziqhenye ngesikhundla sakhe esiphansi, ngoba uzadlula njengeluba leganga.
And [believers] who are rich should be happy [that] they have humbled themselves [in order to trust in Jesus Christ] (OR, but rich people [can only] take pride [in the fact that God] will humble them [when he judges everyone] [IRO]), because they [and their riches] [MTY] will pass away, just like wild flowers [wither] [SIM].
11 Ngoba ilanga liphuma litshisa okuhangulayo libunise ihlumela, umqhakazo walo uwohloke lobuhle balo buphele. Ngokufanayo umuntu onothileyo uzanyamalala elokhu esawenza umsebenzi wakhe.
When the sun rises, the scorching hot wind dries plants, and their flowers fall and are no longer beautiful. Similarly, rich people will die [MET] while they are busy working, [leaving behind their riches].
12 Ubusisiwe umuntu oqiniselayo ekulingweni, ngoba lapho esephumelele ekuhlolweni, uzaphiwa umqhele wokuphila, ukuphila uNkulunkulu akuthembisa labo abamthandayo.
[God] is pleased with people who bravely/patiently endure difficulties. And when, [by bravely enduring difficulties], they have proved [that they truly trust him], he will give them [eternal] life. That is the reward [MET] that he has promised to give to those who love him.
13 Ekulingweni, kakho okumele athi, “UNkulunkulu uyangilinga.” Ngoba uNkulunkulu angeke alingwe yibubi, futhi kalingi muntu;
If people are tempted to do something that is evil, they should not think that it is God who is tempting them, because [God is totally/completely good]. He never tempts anyone [to do what is evil], nor can he ever be tempted to [do anything] evil.
14 kodwa lowo lalowo ulingwa yinkanuko yakhe embi, lapho edonselwa kude ehugwa.
But people strongly desire to do evil [PRS] things, [and as a result] they are tempted by those desires {those desires stimulate them} to do something evil [PRS, DOU].
15 Ngakho-ke, nxa inkanuko isidaliwe izala isono; njalo isono lapho sesikhulile okugcweleyo, sizala ukufa.
Then, [because] they have desired [MET] to do evil [PRS] things, they begin to [MET] do [PRS] them. And when they have become ones who [habitually] do what is evil [MET], [if they do not turn away from their sinful behavior], they will be separated from God forever.
16 Lingakhohliswa bazalwane bami abathandekayo.
My fellow believers whom I love, stop deceiving yourselves, [thinking that God does evil things].
17 Zonke izipho ezinhle lezipheleleyo zivela phezulu, zehlele phansi zivela kuYise wezibane zasezulwini, ongaguqukiyo njalo ongelathunzi lokuphenduka.
[The truth is that God], our heavenly Father [MTY], does only good [DOU] things [for us, in order to help us become] all that he intends us to be. He is not like all the things [in the sky] that he created to give light, [because they] change; [that is, they do not shine the same all the time]. But God never changes. [He is always good].
18 Wakhetha ukusizala ngelizwi leqiniso ukuze sibe luhlobo lwezithelo zakuqala kukho konke akudalayo.
[And because] he wanted [to help us], he gave us [spiritual] life as a result of our [trusting in his] true message. So now we have become the first ones of [all the people] [MET] that he created [to] ([be totally dedicated to/completely belong to]) [him].
19 Bazalwane bami abathandekayo, qaphelani lokhu: Umuntu wonke kumele aphange alalele, aphuze ukukhuluma, njalo aphuze lokuthukuthela
My fellow believers whom I love, you know (OR, I want you to now) that every one of you should be eager to pay attention to [God’s true message]. Don’t speak [without thinking], nor get angry easily,
20 ngoba ukuthukuthela komuntu kakulethi ukuphila okulungileyo okufiswa nguNkulunkulu.
because when any one [of you gets] angry, you will not be doing the righteous things that God [wants] you [to do].
21 Ngakho-ke, lahlani amanyala wonke lobubi obande kangaka, lilamukele ngokuthobeka ilizwi elahlanyelwa kini, elingalisindisa.
So stop doing all kinds of evil [DOU] things, and humbly obey (OR, submit to) the message that [God] put in your (inner beings/hearts), [because] he is able to save you [SYN] [if you accept his message].
22 Lingalaleli ilizwi nje kuphela, beselizikhohlisa ngalokho. Yenzani lokho elikutshoyo.
Do [what God commands in] his message. Do not only listen [to it, because people who only listen to it and do not obey it] are wrong when they think [that God will save them].
23 Loba ngubani olalela ilizwi kodwa angaze enza elikutshoyo unjengomuntu okhangela ubuso bakhe esibukweni
Some people hear God’s message but do not do [what it says] [MET]. They are like someone who looks at his face in a mirror [SIM].
24 kuthi esezibukile asuke ahle akhohlwe ukuthi unjani.
Although he looks at himself, he goes away [from the mirror] and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 Kodwa umuntu owukhangela ngenjongo umthetho opheleleyo oletha ukukhululeka, njalo aqhubeke esenza lokhu engakhohlwa asekuzwile, kodwa ekwenza, uzabusiswa kulokho akwenzayo.
But other people look closely at [God’s] message, which is perfect and which sets people free [to voluntarily do what God wants them to do]. And if they continue [to examine God’s message] and do not just hear it and then forget it, but do [what God tells them to do], God will bless them because of what they do.
26 Nxa umuntu ecabanga ukuthi uyakholwa kodwa engabambi ulimi lwakhe okuqinileyo, uyazikhohlisa njalo lokholo lwakhe luyize.
Some people think that they worship God in the right way, but they habitually say evil things [MTY]. Those people are wrong in thinking [SYN] [that they worship God rightly]. The fact is [that they] worship God (in vain/uselessly).
27 Ukukholwa okwamukelwa nguNkulunkulu uBaba okuhlambulukileyo njalo kungelasici yilokhu: ukugcina izintandane labafelokazi ekuhluphekeni kwabo, kanye lokuzigcina thina ngokwethu ekungcolisweni ngumhlaba.
[One of the things that God has told us to do] is to take care of orphans and widows who suffer hardship. [Those who do that and] who do not think or act immorally like those who do not obey God [MTY] truly [DOU] worship God, [who is our] Father, and God approves of them.
