James 1
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
Yakobo, mtumwa wa Mungu na wa Bwana Yesu Kristo: Kwa makabila kumi na mawili yaliyotawanyika ulimwenguni: Salamu.
2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into various temptations;
Ndugu zangu, hesabuni kuwa ni furaha tupu mnapopatwa na majaribu mbalimbali,
3 knowing that the trying of your faith worketh endurance.
kwa sababu mnajua ya kuwa kujaribiwa kwa imani yenu huleta saburi.
4 But let endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting in nothing.
Saburi na iwe na kazi timilifu, ili mpate kuwa wakamilifu, mmekamilishwa, bila kupungukiwa na kitu chochote.
5 But if any one of you is wanting in wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; and it will be given him.
Kama mtu yeyote miongoni mwenu amepungukiwa na hekima na amwombe Mungu, yeye awapaye watu wote kwa ukarimu wala hana kinyongo, naye atapewa.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting; for he that doubteth is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
Lakini anapoomba, lazima aamini wala asiwe na shaka, kwa sababu mtu aliye na shaka ni kama wimbi la bahari, lililochukuliwa na upepo na kutupwa huku na huku.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord,
Mtu kama huyo asidhani ya kuwa atapata kitu chochote kutoka kwa Bwana.
8 a double-minded man as he is, unstable in all his ways.
Yeye ni mtu mwenye nia mbili, mwenye kusitasita katika njia zake zote.
9 Let the brother of low degree glory in that he is exalted;
Ndugu asiye na cheo kikubwa yampasa ajivunie hali hiyo maana ametukuzwa.
10 but the rich, in that he is made low; because as the flower of the grass he will pass away.
Lakini yeye aliye tajiri afurahi kwa kuwa ameshushwa, kwa sababu atatoweka kama ua la shambani.
11 For the sun rose with its burning heat, and withered the grass, and its flower fell off, and the beauty of its appearance perished; so also will the rich man fade away in his ways.
Kwa maana jua kali lenye kuchoma huchomoza na kuliunguza, likayakausha majani, na ua lake likapukutika, nao uzuri wake huharibika. Vivyo hivyo tajiri naye atanyauka akiwa anaendelea na shughuli zake.
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is approved, he will receive the crown of life, which He promised to them that love him.
Heri mtu anayevumilia wakati wa majaribu, kwa sababu akiisha kushinda hilo jaribio atapewa taji la uzima Mungu alilowaahidia wale wampendao.
13 Let no one when he is tempted, say, I am tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he tempteth no one.
Mtu anapojaribiwa asiseme, “Ninajaribiwa na Mungu.” Kwa maana Mungu hawezi kujaribiwa na maovu wala yeye hamjaribu mtu yeyote.
14 But each one is tempted when by his own lust he is led away and enticed;
Lakini kila mtu hujaribiwa wakati anapovutwa na kudanganywa na tamaa zake mwenyewe zilizo mbaya.
15 then lust, having conceived, bringeth forth sin, and sin, when completed, bringeth forth death.
Basi ile tamaa mbaya ikishachukua mimba, huzaa dhambi, nayo ile dhambi ikikomaa, huzaa mauti.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Ndugu zangu wapendwa, msidanganyike.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no change, nor shadow from turning.
Kila kitolewacho kilicho chema na kilicho kamili, hutoka juu, na hushuka kutoka kwa Baba wa mianga, ambaye kwake hakuna kubadilika, wala kivuli cha kugeukageuka.
18 Of his own will he begot us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.
Kwa mapenzi yake mwenyewe alituzaa kwa neno la kweli, kusudi tuwe kama mazao ya kwanza katika viumbe vyake vyote.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
Ndugu zangu wapendwa, fahamuni jambo hili: Kila mtu awe mwepesi wa kusikiliza, lakini asiwe mwepesi wa kusema wala wa kukasirika.
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Kwa maana hasira ya mwanadamu haitendi haki ya Mungu.
21 Wherefore put off all filthiness, and excess of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Kwa hiyo, ondoleeni mbali uchafu wote na uovu ambao umezidi kuwa mwingi, mkalipokee kwa unyenyekevu lile Neno lililopandwa ndani yenu ambalo laweza kuokoa nafsi zenu.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Basi kuweni watendaji wa Neno wala msiwe wasikiaji tu, huku mkijidanganya nafsi zenu.
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 glass;
Kwa maana kama mtu ni msikiaji tu wa Neno wala hatendi kile linachosema, yeye ni kama mtu ajitazamaye uso wake kwenye kioo
24 for he beholds himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what manner of man he was.
na baada ya kujiona alivyo, huenda zake na mara husahau jinsi alivyo.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty, and remains there, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in his deed.
Lakini yeye anayeangalia kwa bidii katika sheria kamilifu, ile iletayo uhuru, naye akaendelea kufanya hivyo bila kusahau alichosikia, bali akalitenda, atabarikiwa katika kile anachofanya.
26 If any one thinks that he is religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
Kama mtu akidhani ya kuwa anayo dini lakini hauzuii ulimi wake kwa hatamu, hujidanganya moyoni mwake, wala dini yake mtu huyo haifai kitu.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God, the Father, is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep one's self unspotted from the world.
Dini iliyo safi, isiyo na uchafu, inayokubalika mbele za Mungu Baba yetu, ndiyo hii: Kuwasaidia yatima na wajane katika dhiki zao na kujilinda usitiwe madoa na dunia.
