Yakobo 4
1 Nʼchiyani chimene chimayambitsa ndewu ndi mapokoso pakati panu? Kodi sizichokera ku zilakolako zimene zimalimbana mʼkati mwanu?
What causes wars and contentions among you? Is it not the cravings which are ever at war within you for various pleasures?
2 Mumalakalaka zinthu koma simuzipeza, choncho mumapha. Mumasirira zinthu koma simutha kuzipeza zimene mukufuna, choncho mumakangana ndi kumenyana. Mulibe zinthuzo chifukwa simupempha kwa Mulungu.
You covet things and yet cannot get them; you commit murder; you have passionate desires and yet cannot gain your end; you begin to fight and make war. You have not, because you do not pray;
3 Koma ngakhale mumapempha simulandira, chifukwa mumapempha ndi zolinga zoyipa. Mumapempha kuti muzigwiritse ntchito pa zokusangalatsani nokha.
or you pray and yet do not receive, because you pray wrongly, your object being to waste what you get on some pleasure or another.
4 Inu anthu achigololo, kodi simukudziwa kuti kuchita ubwenzi ndi dziko lapansi ndi kudana ndi Mulungu? Choncho, aliyense wosankha kukhala bwenzi la dziko lapansi amasanduka mdani wa Mulungu.
You unfaithful women, do you not know that friendship with the world means enmity to God? Therefore whoever is bent on being friendly with the world makes himself an enemy to God.
5 Kapena mukuganiza kuti Malemba amanena popanda chifukwa kuti Mulungu amafunitsitsa mwansanje mzimu umene Iye anayika kuti uzikhala mwa ife?
Or do you suppose that it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "The Spirit which He has caused to dwell in our hearts yearns jealously over us"?
6 Koma amatipatsa chisomo chochuluka. Nʼchifukwa chake Malemba amati, “Mulungu amatsutsa odzikuza, koma apereka chisomo kwa odzichepetsa.”
But He gives more abundant grace, as is implied in His saying, "God sets Himself against the haughty, but to the lowly He gives grace."
7 Dziperekeni nokha kwa Mulungu. Mukaneni Mdierekezi ndipo adzakuthawani.
Submit therefore to God: resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Sendezani kufupi ndi Mulungu ndipo Iye adzasendeza kwa inu. Sambani mʼmanja mwanu, inu anthu ochimwa. Yeretsani mitima yanu, inu anthu okayikira.
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you who are half-hearted towards God.
9 Chitani chisoni chifukwa cha zimene mwachita, lirani misozi. Kuseka kwanu kusanduke kulira, ndipo chimwemwe chanu chisanduke chisoni.
Afflict yourselves and mourn and weep aloud; let your laughter be turned into grief, and your gladness into shame.
10 Dzichepetseni pamaso pa Ambuye ndipo Iye adzakukwezani.
Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
11 Abale musamanenane. Aliyense wonenera zoyipa mʼbale wake kapena kumuweruza, akusinjirira ndi kuweruza Malamulo. Pamene muweruza malamulo, ndiye kuti simukusunga malamulowo, koma mukuwaweruza.
Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. The man who speaks evil of a brother-man or judges his brother-man speaks evil of the Law and judges the Law. But if you judge the Law, you are no longer one who obeys the Law, but one who judges it.
12 Pali mmodzi yekha Wopereka Malamulo ndi Woweruza. Ndiye amene akhoza kupulumutsa ndi kuwononga. Kodi ndiwe yani kuti uziweruza mnzako?
The only real Lawgiver and Judge is He who is able to save or to destroy. Who are you to sit in judgement on your fellow man?
13 Tsono tamverani, inu amene mumati, “Lero kapena mawa tipita ku mzinda wakutiwakuti, tikatha chaka chimodzi tikuchita malonda ndi kupanga ndalama.”
Come, you who say, "To-day or to-morrow we will go to this or that city, and spend a year there and carry on a successful business,"
14 Chifukwa chiyani mukutero? Inu simukudziwa zimene ziti zichitike mawa. Kodi moyo wanu ndi wotani? Inu muli ngati nkhungu imene imangooneka kwa kanthawi kochepa ndipo kenaka ndikuzimirira.
when, all the while, you do not even know what will happen to-morrow. For what is the nature of your life? Why, it is but a mist, which appears for a short time and then is seen no more.
15 Koma inuyo muyenera kunena kuti, “Ambuye akalola, tikadzakhala ndi moyo, tidzachita zakutizakuti.”
Instead of that you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we shall live and do this or that."
16 Koma mmene zililimu mumangodzitama ndi kudzikuza. Kudzitama konse kotereku ndi koyipa.
But, as the case stands, it is in mere self-confidence that you boast: all such boasting is evil.
17 Aliyense amene amadziwa zabwino zimene amayenera kuchita koma osazichita, ndiye kuti wachimwa.
If, however, a man knows what it is right to do and yet does not do it, he commits a sin.
