James 2
1 be yi mrivayi be ta ji kponji u tibu yesu Almasihu irji u gbirasan be kan tsoro kanka ni bru idi na
My fellow believers, [because] you trust our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is glorious/wonderful, stop honoring some people more than others.
2 u idiri nita ye ni yi ni mi shubi u bi nda suru zobban zinariya ni ikulon dedema udiri a ye nda suru gbajan kolon
[For example], suppose that a person who wears gold rings and fine clothes enters your meeting place. Then suppose that a poor person who wears shabby/ragged clothes also comes in.
3 u be ta kpa idi ukulon dedema nde no bubu u
And [suppose] that you (show special attention to/treat better) the one who is dressed in fine clothes by saying, “Sit here in this good seat!” and you say to the poor one, “Stand there or sit on the floor [MTY]!”
4 kuson dedema u idi uya anita ye u be hla du kukri ghugbamu n yi ko juma be kahla wu du kuson ni meme ni koshishi u be na toh ade be si yo latre ni kpabina u be hi be turon ni meme sonron na?
Then you have obviously [RHQ] caused divisions in the congregation (OR, you are clearly treating one better than the others, and you are using evil [motives/reasons] to ([evaluate people/decide whether people are important or not])).
5 wori imrivayi mubeyi be na toh ade irji a chu be ya ni mi gbuugblu du mba he be wo ni mi njaaji nda he be wa mba kpa nkon wa yonyu ni be wa mba son wu
Listen [to me], my fellow believers whom I love: God has chosen [RHQ] poor people whom [unbelievers consider to] possess nothing of value, [so that he might bless them] greatly [because] they trust [in him], and in order that they will enter the place where [he] will rule [MET] [forever]. That is what he has promised to those who love him.
6 u be kpa be ya tsiri be na toh a nde be wo yi mba o yi ya na?
But you dishonor the poor people. Think about it! (It is rich people, [not poor people], who are causing you to suffer!/Isn’t it rich people, [not poor people], who are oppressing you?) [RHQ] (It is [the rich people] who forcibly take you to court [to accuse you in front of judges]!/Is it not [the rich people] who forcibly take you to court [to accuse you in front of judges]?) [RHQ]
7 mba mbayi mba mri yi ni idedede ma be yoa
(And they are the ones who say evil things about Jesus Christ, the one who is worthy [of praise], to whom you belong!/Are they not the ones who say evil things about Jesus Christ, the one who is worthy [of praise], to whom you belong?) [RHQ]
8 ko ni he u tta cika ituron be chu na wa vuvu a tre a u ka sonvayime na wa u sontume u ti dede ma
In the Scriptures [God has commanded] each of you to love other people like you love yourself. That commandment was [also given] by [Jesus our] King [MTY]. If you [are loving others], you are doing what is right.
9 amma u be ta tsoro kankan ni mi bi be kpaturon tsiri
But if you honor some people more than others, you are (doing wrong/sinning). And because you [do not do what God commanded us to do], he condemns you [PRS] because you disobey his laws.
10 u wa a hu turon wawu da kwubza ni riri a sontuma ni turon a wawu
Do not forget that those who disobey only one of God’s laws, even if they obey all [his other] laws, [God considers them] to be [as guilty as anyone who has disobeyed] all [of] God’s [laws].
11 udiri ni ta tre na ti ta na nde la tre na wu na u ta na ti fa na u ta wu u he idi u kpa turon tsiri
For example, [God] said, “Do not commit adultery,” but he also said, “Do not murder anyone.” [So] if you [(sg)] do not commit adultery but you [(sg)] murder someone, you [(sg)] have become a person who disobeys [God’s] laws.
12 nakima be ka tre de ti na be wa mba bla ni mi turon u son tu
Continually speak and act [toward others] as people should who will be judged {whom [God] will judge} by the law that frees us [from being punished] {[God punishing us]} [for our sins].
13 u hukunci a ni ye ba lonsoron mba ni idi wa ana consonrona. consonron ni ijur ni mi hukunci
[Speak and act like that], because when [God] judges us, he will not act mercifully toward those who do not act mercifully toward others. But when we [are] merciful [to others, we can rejoice], because [our being] merciful [shows] that [we are acting like people whom God] has mercifully saved from being judged (OR, [we can rejoice] because [God] will judge us mercifully).
14 dedema a hi ge imrivayimu idan idiri ni ta tre de wa wu he ni njaaji da na ti idu ba na? u njaaji kima ana kpchuwona ko ani ya?
My fellow believers, [there are some people who say], “I believe [in the Lord Jesus Christ],” but they do not do good things [for other people]. (Their saying that will certainly not do them any good!/What good will their saying that do for them?) [RHQ] [God] will certainly not save [people like that who say that they believe, but do not do good things]! [RHQ]
15 misali idan vayime lilo ko vayi me vrewa ana suru ikolo meme ma da wa ila hama u cha chuki
[To illustrate], suppose that fellow believers, either men or women, don’t have enough clothing or food for each day.
16 misali du irirbi du hla ni mba hi ni si sonron son ni hruhu ni hwt u tana no mba kpi wa ikpamba ni sona na u demema a hige?
And suppose that one of you says to them, “May [God] bless you and supply the clothing and food that you need!” but you [(sg)] do not give them the things that they need. (That would be no help [to them]!/What help is that [to them]?) [RHQ]
17 ni kon kima njaaji ni tuma idan ana tiduna a hi kuboma
Similarly, [those who do] not do good things [to help others, what they have said about] their believing [in Christ] is [as useless] [MET] [as] a dead person [is useless]. They do not [really believe in Christ].
18 e idri ani tre u he ni kpouji ti du na tsoro me kpohji me wa ana he ni iduana u me mi tsoro ikpohji mu ni idum
But someone may say [to me], “[God saves] some people only [because] they trust [in him], and [he saves] others [because] they do good deeds [to people].” [I would answer that person], “[You(sg) cannot] prove to me that people truly trust [in God if] they do not do good things [for others]. But by doing good things [for others] I will prove to you that I truly trust [in God”]
19 u ka kpakyeme ande irji a hi riri u ti bi u ko ibrji me mba kpakyemi ni mi sisiri
[Think about it]! You believe that there is only one God, and you are right [to believe that]. But the demons also believe that, but they tremble [with fear because they know that God is going to punish them].
20 u son toh u na he idi u mre na de njaaji wa ana he ni iduna a hi mege
Also, you foolish person, I will [RHQ] prove to you [(sg)] that [if someone says], “I trust [in God],” but he does not do good things, [what that person says] will not benefit him.
21 ana hi itibu Ibrahim wa mba giri ni duma wa a ban ivrema Ishaku no ni bagadi irji na?
(It was certainly [because of] what our [revered] ancestor Abraham did, when he [prepared to] sacrifice his son Isaac, that he was considered [by God] {that [God] considered him} to be a righteous, [obedient] person./Was it not [because of] what our [revered] ancestor Abraham did, when he [prepared to] sacrifice his son Isaac, that he was considered [by God] {that [God] considered him} to be a righteous, [obedient] person?) [RHQ]
22 u ka tohde njaji a ni tidu ni duma mba nidu u njaaji ani kpau gboru
You [(sg)] can realize that he was not only trusting [in God], but he was also doing [what God told him to do], and [you(sg) can realize] that he was able to trust [in God more] completely because of having done [what God told him to do].
23 u vuvu a kle tre de Ibrahim a kpakyeme ni irji u a bla yo ni be tsatsara u mba ka yo de ikpa irji
And [so it happened as it is written in the] Scriptures: “Because Abraham truly trusted in God, he was considered [by God] to be {[God] considered that he was} righteous.” And [God also] said [about Abraham], “He is my friend.”
24 be toh ade a he ni tu idu mba gbiradisa ana ni kpakyeme na
[From the example of Abraham], you can realize that it is because people do good things that [God] considers them to be righteous, and not only because they trust [in him].
25 ni ko kma me Rahab ghughu wa mba gbirasa ni tu du wa a kpa be tsiri da tsoro mba ikorikha na?
Similarly, it was certainly [RHQ] [because of] what Rahab did, that [God] considered her to be a righteous, [obedient] person. Rahab was [previously] a prostitute, but she cared for the Israelite men who came [to] ([spy out the land/see what that area was like]) and she [helped them to escape by] sending them home on a different road [from the one that they came on].
26 na ikpa wa ana he ni ibrji na a hi ikobuma kpoji wa ana he ni du na a hi kobon ma.
Remember that when our spirits [permanently leave our] bodies, [our bodies] are dead [and useless]. Similarly [SIM], [if someone says], “I trust [in God],” but does not do [things to help others, what that person says about trusting in God] is useless.
