Yakobo 1
1 Yakobo, mtumwa wa Mungu na wa Bwana Yesu Kristo: Kwa makabila kumi na mawili yaliyotawanyika ulimwenguni: Salamu.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.
2 Ndugu zangu, hesabuni kuwa ni furaha tupu mnapopatwa na majaribu mbalimbali,
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations,
3 kwa sababu mnajua ya kuwa kujaribiwa kwa imani yenu huleta saburi.
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 Saburi na iwe na kazi timilifu, ili mpate kuwa wakamilifu, mmekamilishwa, bila kupungukiwa na kitu chochote.
Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 Kama mtu yeyote miongoni mwenu amepungukiwa na hekima na amwombe Mungu, yeye awapaye watu wote kwa ukarimu wala hana kinyongo, naye atapewa.
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 Lakini anapoomba, lazima aamini wala asiwe na shaka, kwa sababu mtu aliye na shaka ni kama wimbi la bahari, lililochukuliwa na upepo na kutupwa huku na huku.
But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed.
7 Mtu kama huyo asidhani ya kuwa atapata kitu chochote kutoka kwa Bwana.
For that man shouldn’t think that he will receive anything from the Lord.
8 Yeye ni mtu mwenye nia mbili, mwenye kusitasita katika njia zake zote.
He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Ndugu asiye na cheo kikubwa yampasa ajivunie hali hiyo maana ametukuzwa.
Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position;
10 Lakini yeye aliye tajiri afurahi kwa kuwa ameshushwa, kwa sababu atatoweka kama ua la shambani.
and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away.
11 Kwa maana jua kali lenye kuchoma huchomoza na kuliunguza, likayakausha majani, na ua lake likapukutika, nao uzuri wake huharibika. Vivyo hivyo tajiri naye atanyauka akiwa anaendelea na shughuli zake.
For the sun arises with the scorching wind and withers the grass; and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So the rich man will also fade away in his pursuits.
12 Heri mtu anayevumilia wakati wa majaribu, kwa sababu akiisha kushinda hilo jaribio atapewa taji la uzima Mungu alilowaahidia wale wampendao.
Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love him.
13 Mtu anapojaribiwa asiseme, “Ninajaribiwa na Mungu.” Kwa maana Mungu hawezi kujaribiwa na maovu wala yeye hamjaribu mtu yeyote.
Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.
14 Lakini kila mtu hujaribiwa wakati anapovutwa na kudanganywa na tamaa zake mwenyewe zilizo mbaya.
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed.
15 Basi ile tamaa mbaya ikishachukua mimba, huzaa dhambi, nayo ile dhambi ikikomaa, huzaa mauti.
Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin. The sin, when it is full grown, produces death.
16 Ndugu zangu wapendwa, msidanganyike.
Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers.
17 Kila kitolewacho kilicho chema na kilicho kamili, hutoka juu, na hushuka kutoka kwa Baba wa mianga, ambaye kwake hakuna kubadilika, wala kivuli cha kugeukageuka.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation nor turning shadow.
18 Kwa mapenzi yake mwenyewe alituzaa kwa neno la kweli, kusudi tuwe kama mazao ya kwanza katika viumbe vyake vyote.
Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
19 Ndugu zangu wapendwa, fahamuni jambo hili: Kila mtu awe mwepesi wa kusikiliza, lakini asiwe mwepesi wa kusema wala wa kukasirika.
So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;
20 Kwa maana hasira ya mwanadamu haitendi haki ya Mungu.
for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.
21 Kwa hiyo, ondoleeni mbali uchafu wote na uovu ambao umezidi kuwa mwingi, mkalipokee kwa unyenyekevu lile Neno lililopandwa ndani yenu ambalo laweza kuokoa nafsi zenu.
Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 Basi kuweni watendaji wa Neno wala msiwe wasikiaji tu, huku mkijidanganya nafsi zenu.
But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.
23 Kwa maana kama mtu ni msikiaji tu wa Neno wala hatendi kile linachosema, yeye ni kama mtu ajitazamaye uso wake kwenye kioo
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror;
24 na baada ya kujiona alivyo, huenda zake na mara husahau jinsi alivyo.
for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25 Lakini yeye anayeangalia kwa bidii katika sheria kamilifu, ile iletayo uhuru, naye akaendelea kufanya hivyo bila kusahau alichosikia, bali akalitenda, atabarikiwa katika kile anachofanya.
But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom and continues, not being a hearer who forgets but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.
26 Kama mtu akidhani ya kuwa anayo dini lakini hauzuii ulimi wake kwa hatamu, hujidanganya moyoni mwake, wala dini yake mtu huyo haifai kitu.
If anyone amongst you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless.
27 Dini iliyo safi, isiyo na uchafu, inayokubalika mbele za Mungu Baba yetu, ndiyo hii: Kuwasaidia yatima na wajane katika dhiki zao na kujilinda usitiwe madoa na dunia.
Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
