James 1
1 James, a servant, of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, —unto the twelve tribes that are in the dispersion, Wishes joy.
Yakobo, mtumwa wa Mungu na wa Bwana Yesu Kristo, kwa makabila kumi na mbili yaliyotawanyika, salaam.
2 All Joy, account it, my brethren, whensoever ye fall in with, manifold, temptations, —
Hesabuni kuwa ni furaha zaidi, ndugu zangu, mnapopita katika matatizo mbali mbali,
3 Taking note, that, the proving of your faith, worketh out endurance;
mkijua kuwa kujaribiwa kwa imani yenu huwapa uvumilivu.
4 But let, your endurance, have, mature work, that ye may be mature and complete, in nothing, coming short.
Acheni uvumilivu uikamilishe kazi yake, kwamba muweze kukomaa kikamilifu, bila kupungukiwa katika lolote.
5 But, if any of you is sinning short of wisdom, let him be asking of God, Who giveth unto all freely and upbraideth not, and it shall 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 be asking in faith, nothing, doubting, for, he that doubteth, is like a wave of the sea, wind-driven and storm-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 two-souled man, unstable in all his ways.
mtu huyu ana nia mbili, si imara katika njia zake zote.
9 But boasting be the lowly brother in his uplifting;
Ndugu maskini anapaswa kujivuna katika kusimama kwake juu,
10 Whereas the rich, in his being brought low, —because, as a flower of 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 hath sprung up, with it scorching heat, and hath withered the grass, and, the flower thereof, hath fallen out, and, the beauty of the face thereof, hath perished, —so, also the rich, in his goings, shall languish.
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 Happy the man who endureth temptation! Because, becoming approved, he shall receive the crown of life—which he hath promised unto 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, while tempted, be saying—From God, am I tempted, —for, God, cannot be tempted by things evil, and, himself, 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 coveting, he is drawn out and enticed,
Kila mtu hujaribiwa na tamaa zake mbaya zinazomshawishi na kumvuta mbali.
15 Then, the coveting, having conceived, giveth birth to sin, and, the sin, when full-grown, bringeth forth death.
Ndipo baada ya tamaa ya dhambi kubeba mimba, dhambi huzaliwa, na baada ya dhambi kukomaa sawasawa, huishia katika mauti.
16 Be not deceived, my brethren beloved: —
Ndugu zangu wapendwa, msidanganyike.
17 Every good giving, and every perfect gift, is, from above, coming down from the Father of lights—with whom is no alternation, nor shadow cast, by turning:
Kila zawadi iliyo nzuri na kila zawadi iliyokamilika hutoka juu, hushuka chini kutoka kwa Baba wa nuru. Kamwe habadiliki kama kivuli kibadilikavyo.
18 Because he was so minded, he hath brought us forth with a word of truth, to the end we should be a sort of firstfruit 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 Ye know, my brethren beloved, —but let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
Mnajua hili, ndugu zangu wapendwa. Kila mmoja anapaswa kuwa mwepesi wa kusikia, siyo mwepesi wa kuongea wala kukasirika,
20 For, man’s anger, worketh not, God’s righteousness.
kwa kuwa hasira ya mwanadamu haiwezi kutenda haki ya Mungu.
21 Wherefore, putting away all filthiness and overflow of baseness, in meekness, welcome ye the word fitted for inward growth, 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 Become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only—reasoning yourselves astray;
Litiini neno, msilisikie tu, mkijidanganya nafsi zenu wenyewe.
23 Because, if any is, a word-hearer, and not a doer, the same, is like unto a man observing his natural face in a mirror, —
Kwa kuwa kama yeyote alisikiaye neno bila kulitendea kazi ni sawa na mtu ajiangaliaye uso wake halisi katika kioo.
24 For he observed himself, and is gone away, and, straightway, it hath escaped him, —what manner of man, he was!
Hujitathimini uso wake, na huenda zake na baada ya muda mfupi husahau anavyofanana.
25 But, he that hath obtained a nearer view into the perfect law of liberty, and hath taken up his abode by it, becoming—not a forgetful hearer, but a work doer, the same, happy in his doing, shall be.
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 thinketh he is observant of religion, not curbing his own tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this one’s, religious observance 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 Religious observance, pure and undefiled with our God and Father, is, this—to be visiting orphans and widows in their affliction, unspotted, to keep, himself, 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.
