James 1
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: Greetings.
UJakobe, inceku kaNkulunkulu leyeNkosi uJesu Kristu, kuzo izizwe ezilitshumi lambili ezisekuhlakazekeni, ngiyabingelela.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
Kubaleni ukuthi kuyintokozo yonke, bazalwane bami, nxa liwela ezilingweni ezizinhlobonhlobo,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
lisazi ukuthi ukuhlolwa kokholo lwenu kuveza ukubekezela;
4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
kodwa ukubekezela kakube lomsebenzi opheleleyo, ukuze libe ngabapheleleyo liphelelisiwe, lingasileli ngalutho.
5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
Njalo uba kukhona kini oswele inhlakanipho, kacele kuNkulunkulu ophanayo ngesihle kubo bonke, futhi engasoli, njalo uzayinikwa.
6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
Kodwa kacele ekholweni engathandabuzi ngalutho; ngoba othandabuzayo unjengegagasi lolwandle eliqhutshwa ngumoya lizuliswe.
7 That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
Ngoba lowomuntu kangacabangi ukuthi uzazuza ulutho eNkosini.
8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Indoda enhliziyombili iyaphenduphenduka endleleni zayo zonke.
9 The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.
Lomzalwane ophansi kazincome ekuphakameni kwakhe;
10 But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.
kodwa onothileyo ekuthotshisweni kwakhe; ngoba njengeluba lotshani uzadlula.
11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
Ngoba ilanga liphuma lilokutshisa, libunise utshani, leluba labo liwohloke, lobuhle bokubonakala kwalo bunyamalale; ngokunjalo lesinothi sizanyamalala ezindleleni zaso.
12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
Ubusisiwe umuntu obekezelela isilingo; ngoba esehloliwe uzakwemukela umqhele wempilo, iNkosi eyawuthembisa kwabayithandayo.
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.
Kakulamuntu olingwayo omele athi: Ngilingwa nguNkulunkulu; ngoba uNkulunkulu kalasilingo sokubi, laye uqobo kalingi muntu.
14 But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.
Kodwa ngulowo lalowo uyalingwa, lapho eyengwa ngezakhe inkanuko, ehugwa;
15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
kuthi lapho inkanuko isikhulelwe ibelethe isono; lesono lapho sesiphelele sizala ukufa.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Lingakhohliswa, bazalwane bami abathandekayo.
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
Sonke isipho esihle laso sonke isipho esipheleleyo sivela phezulu, sehla sivela kuYise wezibane, okungekho kuye ukuguquka, kumbe isithunzi sokuphenduka.
18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.
Ngokuthanda kwakhe wasizala ngelizwi leqiniso, ukuze sibe njengezithelo zokuqala zezidalwa zakhe.
19 My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
Ngakho, bazalwane bami abathandekayo, wonke umuntu umele aphangise ukuzwa, aphuze ukukhuluma, aphuze ukuthukuthela;
20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.
ngoba ukuthukuthela kwendoda kakwenzi ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu.
21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.
Ngakho selihlubule amanyala wonke lokwanda kakhulu kobubi, lemukele ngobumnene ilizwi eligxunyekiweyo, elilamandla okusindisa imiphefumulo yenu.
22 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
Kodwa banini ngabenzi belizwi, lingabi ngabezwayo kuphela, lizikhohlisa lina ngokwenu.
23 For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror,
Ngoba uba umuntu engumuzwi welizwi futhi engesimenzi, yena ufanana lendoda ebuka ubuso bayo bemvelo esibukweni;
24 and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
ngoba iyazibuka, ibisisuka, ibisihle ikhohlwa ukuthi ibinjani.
25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.
Kodwa lowo okhangelisisa emlayweni opheleleyo, lowo owenkululeko, abesebambelela kuwo, yena engesimuzwi okhohlwayo kodwa engumenzi womsebenzi, lo uzakuba ngobusisiweyo ekwenzeni kwakhe.
26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
Uba umuntu phakathi kwenu esithi uyakholwa, uba engalufaki itomu ulimi lwakhe, kodwa akhohlise inhliziyo yakhe, ukukholwa kwalowo kuyize.
27 Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Ukukholwa okuhlanzekileyo lokungangcoliswanga phambi kukaNkulunkulu ngitsho uBaba yilokhu, ukuhambela izintandane labafelokazi ekuhluphekeni kwabo, lokuzilondoloza engelasici kokomhlaba.
