< James 1 >

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are scattered abroad: Greetings.
Yakobo, mtumwa wa Mungu na wa Bwana Yesu Kristo, kwa makabila kumi na mbili yaliyotawanyika, salaam.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you experience various trials,
Hesabuni kuwa ni furaha zaidi, ndugu zangu, mnapopita katika matatizo mbali mbali,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
mkijua kuwa kujaribiwa kwa imani yenu huwapa uvumilivu.
4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Acheni uvumilivu uikamilishe kazi yake, kwamba muweze kukomaa kikamilifu, bila kupungukiwa katika lolote.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to 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 he must ask in faith without doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed about.
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 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
Kwa hakika mtu huyu asifikirie kwamba atapokelewa ombi lake kutoka kwa Bwana;
8 A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.
mtu huyu ana nia mbili, si imara katika njia zake zote.
9 The lowly brother should rejoice in being exalted,
Ndugu maskini anapaswa kujivuna katika kusimama kwake juu,
10 and the rich man should rejoice in being made low, because he will pass away like a flower of grass.
wakati huo huo ndugu tajiri katika unyenyekevu wake, kwa sababu atatoweka kama ua la kondeni katika shamba analopita.
11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass, and its flower falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in his pursuits.
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 who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who 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 No one should say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God is not tempted by evil, and he himself tempts 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 person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires.
Kila mtu hujaribiwa na tamaa zake mbaya zinazomshawishi na kumvuta mbali.
15 And when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. And when sin is fully grown, it brings forth death.
Ndipo baada ya tamaa ya dhambi kubeba mimba, dhambi huzaliwa, na baada ya dhambi kukomaa sawasawa, huishia katika mauti.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Ndugu zangu wapendwa, msidanganyike.
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of 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 gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits 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 So then, my beloved brothers, everyone should be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
Mnajua hili, ndugu zangu wapendwa. Kila mmoja anapaswa kuwa mwepesi wa kusikia, siyo mwepesi wa kuongea wala kukasirika,
20 For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
kwa kuwa hasira ya mwanadamu haiwezi kutenda haki ya Mungu.
21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and rampant wickedness, humbly receive 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. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
Litiini neno, msilisikie tu, mkijidanganya nafsi zenu wenyewe.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his 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 looks at himself and goes away, and then immediately forgets what he looks like.
Hujitathimini uso wake, na huenda zake na baada ya muda mfupi husahau anavyofanana.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts. He will be blessed in what he does.
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 anyone among you considers himself to be religious but does not bridle his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
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 and undefiled religion before God our Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by 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.

< James 1 >