Jakob 2
1 Nawkamyanawk, lensawk Angraeng, aicae ih Angraeng Jesu Kri tanghaih kacak na tawnh o pongah, kami mikhmai khethaih tawn o hmah.
My fellow believers, [because] you trust our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is glorious/wonderful, stop honoring some people more than others.
2 Kami maeto loe sui bantuek hoiah amthoep het moe, bokhaih imthung ah angzoh, to naah kakhoem khukbuen angkhuk kamtang kami maeto doeh bokhaih imthung ah angzoh toeng;
[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 to naah nangcae mah kahoih khukbuen angkhuk kami to khingyahaih na paek o moe, anih khaeah, Nang loe hae ih ahmuen kahoih ah anghnu ah, tiah na naa o; toe mithoe khaeah loe, Nang loe hoah angdoe ah, to tih ai boeh loe kaicae khok tlim ah anghnu ah, tiah na naa o nahaeloe,
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 nangmacae hoi nangmacae salakah mikhmai khethaih tawn kami, kasae poekhaih hoiah lokcaek kami ah na om o mak ai maw?
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 Tahngai oh, ka palung ih nawkamyanawk, Anih palung kaminawk khaeah anih mah lokkamhaih sak baktih toengah, hae long nuiah kamtang kaminawk to Sithaw mah tanghaih bangah angraengsak moe, siangpahrang mah uk ih prae qawktoep kami ah qoih boeh na ai maw?
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 Toe nangcae mah loe kamtangnawk to na patoek o. Nangcae pacaekthlaek moe, lokcaekhaih im ah caeh haih kami loe, long angraengnawk hae na ai maw?
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 Nihcae mah na ai maw nangcae kawkkung, kahoih ih ahmin to kasae thuih o?
(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 Nangmah hoi nangmah amlung baktih toengah na imtaeng kaminawk to palung ah, tiah Cabu thungah kaom Angraeng ih kaalok baktih toengah na pazui o nahaeloe, kahoih hmuen sah kami ah na oh o.
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 Toe kami mikhmai khethaih na tawnh o nahaeloe, zaehaih sah kami ah na oh o, kaalok mah nang loe kami zae ni, tiah amtuengsak tih.
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 Mi kawbaktih mah doeh kaalok to pazui king, toe maeto pazui ai ah om nahaeloe, kaalok boih pazui thai ai kami zae ah ni oh boeh.
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 Zu sava laep ah nongpa nongpata zaehaih sah hmah, tiah thui kami loe, Kami hum hmah, tiah doeh thuih bae vop. Nang loe vaihi zu sava laep ah nongpa nongpata zaehaih na sah ai, toe kami na hum nahaeloe, kaalok aek kami ah ni na oh.
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 To pongah loihhaih kaalok mah lokcaek han kaom kami baktiah, lok to thui oh loe, thuih ih baktih toengah sah oh.
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 Tahmenhaih tawn ai kami loe, tahmenhaih tawn ai ah lokcaekhaih om tih; tahmenhaih mah lokcaekhaih to pazawk.
[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 Nawkamyanawk, kami maeto mah tanghaih ka tawnh, tiah thuih, toe toksakhaih amtueng ai nahaeloe tih atho maw om tih? Tanghaih mah anih to pahlong thai tih maw?
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 Nawkamya nongpa maw, nongpata maw loe bangkrai ah oh sut, ni thokkruek caaknaek tawn ai ah oh,
[To illustrate], suppose that fellow believers, either men or women, don’t have enough clothing or food for each day.
16 to naah nangcae thung ih kami maeto mah nihcae khaeah, Kamongah caeh oh, mawnhaih tawn ai ah khosah oh, zok amhah oh, tiah na naa o moe, nihcae takpum angaihaih hmuennawk na paek o ai nahaeloe, timaw avanghaih om tih?
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 To pongah toksakhaih kaom ai, tanghaih khue loe duek.
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 Ue, kami maeto mah, Nang loe tanghaih na tawnh, Kai loe toksakhaih ka tawnh: na toksakhaih kaom ai na tanghaih to na patuek ah, kai mah doeh ka toksakhaih hoiah ka tanghaih to kang patuek toeng han, tiah thuih thaih koiah oh.
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 Nang mah Sithaw loe maeto ni, tiah na tang; na tanghaih loe hoih: taqawknawk mah mataeng doeh to tiah tang o moe, tasoeh o toeng bae.
[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 Tidoeh avang ai kami, Toksakhaih om ai tanghaih loe duek, tito na panoek ai maw?
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 Aicae ampa Abraham mah a capa Isak hmaicam nuiah angbawnhaih sak naah, anih mah toksakhaih rang hoiah na ai maw toenghaih to hnuk?
(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 Tanghaih loe a toksakhaih hoiah nawnto amraep, toksakhaih rang hoiah ni a tanghaih to akoep, tiah a hnuk o.
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 Abraham mah Sithaw tang pongah, a tanghaih to toenghaih ah tapom pae, tiah thuih ih Cabu lok loe akoep boeh: to naah Abraham to Sithaw ih Ampui, tiah kawk.
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 Tanghaih khue hoiah na ai, toksakhaih rang hoiah ni kami mah toenghaih to hnuk, tiah vaihi na panoek o boeh.
[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 To baktih toengah, tangzat zaw Rahab mah doeh tamthang sin kaminawk to talawk moe, loklam kalah bang hoiah patoeh ving, to tiah toksakhaih rang hoiah na ai maw anih mah toenghaih to hnuk?
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 Muithla tawn ai taksa loe duek, to baktih toengah toksakhaih kaom ai tanghaih doeh duek.
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.
