< James 2 >

1 My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons.
Bazalwane bami, kungeyisikho ngokubandlulula abantu libe lokholo lweNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu, iNkosi yenkazimulo.
2 For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing;
Ngoba uba kungena emhlanganweni wenu indoda elendandatho yegolide lesembatho esikhazimulayo, besekungena longumyanga olesembatho esingcolileyo,
3 and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool;
beselinanzelela ogqoke isembatho esikhazimulayo beselisithi kuye: Wena hlala lapha kuhle; beselisithi kongumyanga: Wena mana lapho, loba: Hlala lapha ngaphansi kwesenabelo senyawo zami;
4 are ye not divided in your own mind, and become judges with evil thoughts?
pho, kalibandlululi phakathi kwenu, njalo laba ngabahluleli abalemicabango emibi yini?
5 Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world [to be] rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?
Zwanini, bazalwane bami abathandekayo. UNkulunkulu kabakhethanga yini abayanga balumhlaba, benothile ekholweni, njalo bezindlalifa zombuso awuthembisayo kwabamthandayo?
6 But ye have dishonoured the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats?
Kodwa lina libadumazile abayanga. Abanothileyo kabalicindezeli yini, njalo akusibo yini abalidonsela ekwahlulelweni?
7 Do not they blaspheme the honourable name by the which ye are called?
Bona kabalihlambazi yini ibizo elihle elibizwa ngalo?
8 Howbeit if ye fulfill the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Uba liphelelisa umlayo wobukhosi, ngokombhaloothi: Wothanda umakhelwane wakho njengalokhu uzithanda wena, lenza kuhle;
9 but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
kodwa uba libandlulula abantu, lenza isono, lilahlwa ngumlayo njengabaweqayo.
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one [point], he is become guilty of all.
Ngoba loba ngubani ogcina umlayo wonke, kodwa akhubeke kokukodwa, uba lecala kuyo yonke.
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
Ngoba owathi: Ungafebi; wathi futhi: Ungabulali; uba-ke ungafebi, kodwa ubulala, usungumeqi womlayo.
12 So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty.
Khulumani ngokunjalo lenze njalo, njengabazakwahlulelwa ngomlayo wenkululeko.
13 For judgment [is] without mercy to him that hath shewed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment.
Ngoba ukwahlulelwa okungelasihawu kungokwalowo ongenzanga isihawu; njalo isihawu sizincoma kukho ukwahlulela.
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him?
Kusizani, bazalwane bami, uba umuntu esithi ulokholo, kodwa engelamisebenzi? Lolokholo lungamsindisa yini?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and in lack of daily food,
Uba-ke umzalwane loba umzalwanekazi behambaze njalo beswela ukudla kwensuku ngensuku,
16 and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit?
omunye wenu abesesithi kubo: Hambani ngokuthula, likhudumale lisuthe; kodwa lingabaniki izinto ezidingwa ngumzimba, lokho kusizani?
17 Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.
Kunjalo lokholo, uba lungelamisebenzi, lufile ngokwalo.
18 Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith apart from [thy] works, and I by my works will shew thee [my] faith.
Kodwa omunye uzakuthi: Wena ulokholo, mina-ke ngilemisebenzi; ngitshengisa ukholo lwakho ngaphandle kwemisebenzi yakho, lami emisebenzini yami ngizakutshengisa ukholo lwami.
19 Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and shudder.
Wena uyakholwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu munye; wenza kuhle; lamadimoni ayakholwa, njalo athuthumele.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren?
Kodwa uyathanda ukwazi yini, O siphukuphuku, ukuthi ukholo olungelamisebenzi lufile?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar?
UAbrahama ubaba wethu kalungisiswanga yini ngemisebenzi, esenikele indodana yakhe uIsaka phezu kwelathi?
22 Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect;
Uyabona ukuthi ukholo lwalusebenza kanye lemisebenzi yakhe, lokuthi ukholo lwapheleliswa ngemisebenzi,
23 and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God.
kwasekugcwaliswa umbhalo othi: LoAbrahama wakholwa uNkulunkulu, kwasekubalelwa kuye ukuthi kuyikulunga, wasebizwa ngokuthi ngumngane kaNkulunkulu.
24 Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.
Ngakho-ke liyabona ukuthi umuntu uyalungisiswa ngemisebenzi, futhi kungesikuthi ngokholo kuphela.
25 And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?
Ngokunjalo-ke loRahabi isifebe kalungisiswanga ngemisebenzi yini, esezemukele izithunywa, eseziphumise ngenye indlela?
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
Ngoba njengalokhu umzimba ngaphandle komoya ufile, ngokunjalo lokholo ngaphandle kwemisebenzi lufile.

< James 2 >