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 mbili yaliyotawanyika, salaam.
2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into various temptations;
Hesabuni kuwa ni furaha zaidi, ndugu zangu, mnapopita katika matatizo mbali mbali,
3 knowing that the trying of your faith worketh endurance.
mkijua kuwa kujaribiwa kwa imani yenu huwapa uvumilivu.
4 But let endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting in nothing.
Acheni uvumilivu uikamilishe kazi yake, kwamba muweze kukomaa kikamilifu, bila kupungukiwa katika lolote.
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.
Lakini kama mtu kati yenu anahitaji hekima, aiombe kutoka kwa Mungu, ambaye hutoa kwa ukarimu na pasipo kukemea kwa wote wamwombao, na atawapa hekima.
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 omba kwa imani, bila shaka, kwa kuwa mwenye kutia shaka ni kama mawimbi katika bahari, huchukuliwa na upepo na kutupwa huku na huko.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord,
Kwa hakika mtu huyu asifikirie kwamba atapokelewa ombi lake kutoka kwa Bwana;
8 a double-minded man as he is, unstable in all his ways.
mtu huyu ana nia mbili, si imara katika njia zake zote.
9 Let the brother of low degree glory in that he is exalted;
Ndugu maskini anapaswa kujivuna katika kusimama kwake juu,
10 but the rich, in that he is made low; because as the flower of the grass he will pass away.
wakati huo huo ndugu tajiri katika unyenyekevu wake, kwa sababu atatoweka kama ua la kondeni katika shamba analopita.
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.
Jua huchomoza na joto la kuunguza kukausha mimea, na maua huanguka na uzuri wake hufa. Vivyo hivyo watu matajiri watachakaa katikati ya kazi zao.
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.
Amebarikiwa mtu yule anayevumilia majaribu, kwa kuwa baada ya kushinda jaribu hilo, atapokea taji ya uzima, ambayo imeahidiwa kwa wale wampendao Mungu.
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 yeyote hapaswi kusema anapojaribiwa, “Jaribu hili linatoka kwa Mungu,” kwa sababu Mungu hajaribiwi na uovu, na Mungu mwenyewe hamjaribu yeyote.
14 But each one is tempted when by his own lust he is led away and enticed;
Kila mtu hujaribiwa na tamaa zake mbaya zinazomshawishi na kumvuta mbali.
15 then lust, having conceived, bringeth forth sin, and sin, when completed, bringeth forth death.
Ndipo baada ya tamaa ya dhambi kubeba mimba, dhambi huzaliwa, na baada ya dhambi kukomaa sawasawa, huishia katika 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 zawadi iliyo nzuri na kila zawadi iliyokamilika hutoka juu, hushuka chini kutoka kwa Baba wa nuru. Kamwe habadiliki kama kivuli kibadilikavyo.
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.
Mungu alichagua kutupa sisi uzima kwa Neno la kweli, ili kwamba tuweze kuwa kama uzao wa kwanza miongoni mwa viumbe vyake.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
Mnajua hili, ndugu zangu wapendwa. Kila mmoja anapaswa kuwa mwepesi wa kusikia, siyo mwepesi wa kuongea wala kukasirika,
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
kwa kuwa hasira ya mwanadamu haiwezi kutenda 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 wekeni mbali uchafu wa dhambi na ubaya wote ulio mahali popote, na kwa unyenyekevu lipokeeni neno lililopandwa ndani yenu, ambalo lina uwezo wa kuokoa roho zenu.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Litiini neno, msilisikie tu, mkijidanganya nafsi zenu wenyewe.
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 kuwa kama yeyote alisikiaye neno bila kulitendea kazi ni sawa na mtu ajiangaliaye uso wake halisi katika kioo.
24 for he beholds himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what manner of man he was.
Hujitathimini uso wake, na huenda zake na baada ya muda mfupi husahau anavyofanana.
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.
Bali mtu yule anayeiangalia kwa uangalifu sheria kamili, sheria ya uhuru, na kuendelea kuitii, si kwa sababu yeye ni msikilizaji anayesahau, huyu mtu atabarikiwa anapoitenda.
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.
Ikiwa mtu yeyote atafikiri mwenyewe kuwa ni mtu wa dini, lakini hawezi kuutawala ulimi wake, huudanganya moyo wake na dini yake ni bure.
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 na isiyoharibiwa mbele za Mungu wetu na Baba ni hii: kuwasaidia yatima na wajane katika mateso yao, na kujilinda wenyewe na ufisadi wa dunia.
