James 1
1 James, the servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are in the Dispersion, greeting.
Mimi Yakobo, mtumishi wa Mungu na wa Bwana Yesu Kristo, nawaandikia ninyi, makabila kumi na mawili, yaliyotawanyika ulimwenguni! Salaam!
2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when you may fall into manifold temptations.
Ndugu zangu, muwe na furaha mnapopatwa na majaribu mbalimbali,
3 Knowing that the trial of your faith works out endurance.
kwani mwajua kwamba imani yenu ikisha stahimili, itawapatieni uvumilivu.
4 But let endurance have its perfect work, in order that you may be perfect and whole in every part, lacking in nothing.
Muwe na hakika kwamba uvumilivu wenu utawategemeza mpaka mwisho, mpate kuwa wakamilifu na watimilifu, bila kupungukiwa chochote.
5 But if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all cheerfully and upbraids none; and it will be given unto him.
Lakini kama mmoja wenu ametindikiwa hekima, basi, anapaswa kumwomba Mungu ambaye atampatia; kwani Mungu huwapa wote kwa wingi na kwa ukarimu.
6 But let him ask in faith, doubting as to nothing; for he that doubts is like unto a wave of the sea driven by the winds and tossed by the tempest.
Lakini anapaswa kuomba kwa imani bila mashaka yoyote. Mtu aliye na mashaka ni kama mawimbi ya bahari ambayo husukumwa na kutupwatupwa na upepo.
7 For let not that man think that he will receive anything from the Lord,
Mtu wa namna hiyo, mwenye nia mbili na asiye na msimamo katika mwenendo wake wote,
8 the double-minded man, the most unstable in all his ways.
asidhani ya kwamba atapata chochote kile kutoka kwa Bwana.
9 But let the humble brother boast in his exaltation:
Ndugu aliye maskini anapaswa kufurahi wakati Mungu anapomkweza,
10 and the rich man, in his humility: because as the flower of the grass he will pass away.
naye tajiri anapaswa kufurahi anaposhushwa na Mungu. Maana tajiri atatoweka kama ua la porini.
11 For the sun with a scorching wind has risen, and dried up the grass, and its flower fell off, and the beauty of its countenance perished: so indeed the rich man will pass away in his ways.
Jua huchomoza na kwa joto lake kali hukausha mimea, nayo maua yake huanguka, na uzuri wake wote huharibika. Vivyo hivyo, tajiri ataangamizwa katika shughuli zake.
12 Happy is the man who endures temptation: because, being proved, he will receive a crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him with divine love.
Heri mtu anayebaki mwaminifu katika majaribu, kwani akisha stahimili atapewa tuzo la uzima ambalo Mungu aliwaahidia wale wanaompenda.
13 Let no one being tempted say, I am tempted from God. For God can not be tempted with evils, and he tempts no one:
Kama mtu akijaribiwa, asiseme: “Ninajaribiwa na Mungu.” Maana Mungu hawezi kujaribiwa na uovu, wala yeye hamjaribu mtu yeyote.
14 but each one is tempted by his own lusts, being drawn out, and enticed.
Lakini mtu hujaribiwa anapovutwa na kunaswa na tamaa zake mbaya.
15 Then the lust, conceiving, brings forth sin; and sin, having been perfected, produces death.
Tamaa ikiiva huzaa dhambi; nayo dhambi ikikomaa huzaa kifo.
16 Be not deceived, my beloved brethren.
Ndugu zangu wapenzi, msidanganyike!
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of change.
Kila kipaji chema na kila zawadi kamilifu hutoka mbinguni; hutoka kwa Baba, Muumba wa mianga, ambaye habadiliki wala hana alama yoyote ya ugeugeu.
18 Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we should be some first fruit of his creations.
Kwa kupenda kwake mwenyewe alituzaa kwa neno lake la ukweli, ili tuwe namna ya matunda ya kwanza miongoni mwa viumbe vyake.
19 Know, my beloved brethren; but let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow toward wrath:
Ndugu zangu wapenzi, kumbukeni jambo hili! Kila mtu na awe mwepesi wa kusikia lakini asiwe mwepesi wa kusema wala mwepesi wa kukasirika.
20 for the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God.
Mwenye hasira hawezi kutimiza matakwa ya Mungu yaliyo ya haki.
21 Therefore having laid aside all filthiness and excess of evil, receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Kwa hiyo, tupilieni mbali mwenendo mchafu na tabia zote mbovu; jiwekeni chini ya Mungu na kupokea ule ujumbe uliopandwa mioyoni mwenu, ambao waweza kuziokoa nafsi zenu.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Msijidanganye wenyewe kwa kusikiliza tu neno lake, bali litekelezeni kwa vitendo.
23 For if any one is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a mirror:
Yeyote anayesikiliza hilo neno lakini halitekelezi, huyo ni kama mtu anayejiangalia sura yake mwenyewe katika kioo.
24 for he recognized himself, and has gone away, and immediately forgot what kind he was.
Hujiangalia mwenyewe, kisha huenda zake, na mara husahau jinsi alivyo.
25 But the one having looked into the perfect law which is the law of liberty, and having remained in it, not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, he shall be happy in his work.
Lakini mtu anayeangalia kwa makini sheria kamilifu ambayo huwapa watu uhuru, mtu anayeendelea kuizingatia, na si kuisikia tu na kuisahau baadaye, bali anaitekeleza, mtu huyo atabarikiwa katika kila kitu anachofanya.
26 But if any one seems to be religious, bridling not his own tongue, but deceiving his own heart, the religion of that man is vain.
Kama mtu akijiona kuwa ni mtu mwenye dini, lakini hawezi kuutawala ulimi wake, dini yake haifai kitu, na anajidanganya mwenyewe.
27 Pure religion and undefiled with God even the Father is this, to relieve the orphans and widows in their affliction, and keep himself unspotted from the world.
Dini iliyo safi na isiyo na hitilafu mbele ya Mungu Baba ni hii: Kuwasaidia yatima na wajane katika shida zao, na kujilinda mwenyewe usichafuliwe na ulimwengu huu.
