< James 2 >

1 My brethren, you must not make distinctions between one man and another while you are striving to maintain faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our glory.
Ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ, ta etĩkia thĩinĩ wa Mwathani witũ Jesũ Kristũ, o we ũrĩa ũrĩ riiri-rĩ, tigagai gũthutũkanagia andũ nĩ ũndũ wa maũthĩ mao.
2 For suppose a man comes into one of your meetings wearing gold rings and fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man wearing shabby clothes,
Tondũ-rĩ, ĩ hihi kũngĩũka mũndũ kĩũngano-inĩ kĩanyu ekĩrĩte gĩcũhĩ gĩa thahabu na nguo njega, na gũũke mũndũ mũthĩĩni ũtehumbĩte nguo njega-rĩ,
3 and you pay court to the one who wears the fine clothes, and say, "Sit here; this is a good place;" while to the poor man you say, "Stand there, or sit on the floor at my feet;"
na inyuĩ mũhe ũcio wĩhumbĩte nguo njega gĩtĩĩo, mũmwĩre atĩrĩ, “Haha harĩ na gĩtĩ kĩega gĩa gũikarĩra,” no mwĩre mũndũ ũcio mũthĩĩni atĩrĩ, “Wee rũgama harĩa,” kana, “Ikara haha magũrũ-inĩ makwa,”
4 is it not plain that in your hearts you have little faith, seeing that you have become judges full of wrong thoughts?
githĩ mũtiagĩthutũkania inyuĩ ene, na mwatuĩka atuanĩri ciira marĩ na meciiria mooru?
5 Listen, my dearly-loved brethren. Has not God chosen those whom the world regards as poor to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which He has promised to those that love Him?
Ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ inyuĩ nyenda mũno, ta thikĩrĩriai: Githĩ Ngai ndathuurĩte arĩa monagwo marĩ athĩĩni gũkũ thĩ nĩguo matuĩke itonga ũhoro-inĩ wa wĩtĩkio na magaĩrwo ũthamaki ũrĩa erĩire arĩa mamwendete?
6 But you have put dishonour upon the poor man. Yet is it not the rich who grind you down? Are not they the very people who drag you into the Law courts? --
No inyuĩ nĩ mũnyararaga arĩa athĩĩni. Githĩ ti itonga imũhinyagĩrĩria? Githĩ ti o mamũtwaraga igooti-inĩ na hinya?
7 and the very people who speak evil of the noble Name by which you are called?
Ningĩ githĩ ti o macambagia rĩĩtwa rĩrĩa rĩrĩ gĩtĩĩo, o rĩu rĩa ũrĩa mũrĩ ake?
8 If, however, you are keeping the Law as supreme, in obedience to the Commandment which says "You are to love your fellow man just as you love yourself," you are acting rightly.
Angĩkorwo nĩmũhingagia watho ũrĩa mũtue nĩ mũthamaki ũrĩa wandĩkĩtwo Maandĩko-inĩ atĩrĩ, “Enda mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ o ta ũrĩa wĩyendete wee mwene,” nĩmwĩkaga wega.
9 But if you are making distinctions between one man and another, you are guilty of sin, and are convicted by the Law as offenders.
No angĩkorwo mũtĩĩagĩra andũ maũthĩ-rĩ, nĩ kwĩhia mwĩhagia na mũrĩ atuĩre nĩ watho atĩ mũrĩ aagarari watho.
10 A man who has kept the Law as a whole, but has failed to keep some one command, has become guilty of violating all.
Nĩgũkorwo ũrĩa wothe ũhingagia watho wothe, no akahĩngwo nĩ kaũndũ o kamwe ka guo, mũndũ ũcio nĩagararĩte watho wothe.
11 For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murder," and if you are a murderer, although not an adulterer, you have become an offender against the Law.
Tondũ ũrĩa woigire atĩ, “Ndũkanatharanie,” nowe woigire atĩ, “Ndũkanoragane.” Rĩu-rĩ, ũngĩaga gũtharania no ũragane-rĩ, wee nĩũtuĩkĩte mwagarari wa watho.
12 Speak and act as those should who are expecting to be judged by the Law of freedom.
Aragiai na mwĩkage maũndũ manyu o ta mũrĩ arĩa magaatuĩrwo ciira nĩ watho ũrĩa ũheanaga wĩyathi,
13 For he who shows no mercy will have judgement given against him without mercy; but mercy triumphs over judgement.
tondũ mũndũ ũrĩa ũtuanĩire ciira atekũiguanĩra tha-rĩ, ũcio nake agaatuĩrwo ciira atekũiguĩrwo tha. Nacio tha nĩitooragia ũtuanĩri wa ciira!
14 What good is it, my brethren, if a man professes to have faith, and yet his actions do not correspond? Can such faith save him?
Ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ, gũkĩrĩ na uumithio ũrĩkũ mũndũ angiuga atĩ arĩ na wĩtĩkio, no ndarĩ na ciĩko? Wĩtĩkio ũcio wakĩmũhonokia?
15 Suppose a Christian brother or sister is poorly clad or lacks daily food,
Mũrũ wa Ithe witũ kana mwarĩ wa Ithe witũ angĩkorwo ndarĩ na nguo cia kwĩhumba, kana irio cia kũrĩa o mũthenya,
16 and one of you says to them, "I wish you well; keep yourselves warm and well fed," and yet you do not give them what they need; what is the use of that?
nake ũmwe wanyu amwĩre atĩrĩ, “Thiĩ na wega; gĩa na ũrugarĩ na ũrĩe wega,” no ndarĩ ũndũ aamũteithia naguo mabataro-inĩ make ma mwĩrĩ-rĩ, ũndũ ũcio ũkĩrĩ na uumithio ũrĩkũ?
17 So also faith, if it is unaccompanied by obedience, has no life in it--so long as it stands alone.
Ũguo no taguo wĩtĩkio mũtheri ũtarĩ na ciĩko ũhaana, nĩ mũkuũ guo mwene.
18 Nay, some one will say, "You have faith, I have actions: prove to me your faith apart from corresponding actions and I will prove mine to you by my actions.
No mũndũ no oige atĩrĩ, “Wee-rĩ, ũrĩ na wĩtĩkio; na niĩ ndĩ na ciĩko.” Nyonia wĩtĩkio waku ũrĩa ũtarĩ na ciĩko, na niĩ nĩngũkuonia wĩtĩkio wakwa na ũndũ wa ũrĩa njĩkaga.
19 You believe that God is one, and you are quite right: evil spirits also believe this, and shudder."
Wee nĩwĩtĩkĩtie atĩ Ngai no ũmwe. Ũguo nĩ wega! O nacio ndaimono nĩciĩtĩkĩtie ũguo, na ikainaina.
20 But, idle boaster, are you willing to be taught how it is that faith apart from obedience is worthless? Take the case of Abraham our forefather.
Wee kĩrimũ gĩkĩ, nĩ ũira ũrakĩenda wa kuonania atĩ wĩtĩkio ũtarĩ na ciĩko nĩ wa tũhũ?
21 Was it, or was it not, because of his actions that he was declared to be righteous as the result of his having offered up his son Isaac upon the altar?
Githĩ Iburahĩmu, ithe witũ wa tene, ndaatuirwo mũthingu nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa eekire rĩrĩa aarutire mũriũ Isaaka kĩgongona-inĩ?
22 You notice that his faith was co-operating with his actions, and that by his actions his faith was perfected;
Mũtigũkĩona atĩ wĩtĩkio wake nĩ warutire wĩra hamwe na ciĩko ciake, naguo wĩtĩkio wake ũgĩtuuo mũiganĩru kũna nĩ ũndũ wa ciĩko icio ciake.
23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And Abraham believed God, and his faith was placed to his credit as righteousness," and he received the name of 'God's friend.'
Namo Maandĩko makĩhingio marĩa moigĩte atĩrĩ, “Iburahĩmu agĩĩtĩkia Ngai, nakuo gwĩtĩkia kũu gũgĩtũma atuuo mũthingu,” nake agĩĩtwo mũrata wa Ngai.
24 You all see that it is because of actions that a man is pronounced righteous, and not simply because of faith.
Nĩmũkuona atĩ mũndũ atuagwo mũthingu nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa ekaga, no ti ũndũ wa wĩtĩkio wiki.
25 In the same way also was not the notorious sinner Rahab declared to be righteous because of her actions when she welcomed the spies and hurriedly helped them to escape another way?
O nake Rahabu ũrĩa warĩ mũmaraya-rĩ, githĩ ndaatuirwo mũthingu nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa eekire hĩndĩ ĩrĩa aanyiitire athigaani arĩa ũgeni na akĩmoonereria njĩra ĩngĩ ya kũũrĩra?
26 For just as a human body without a spirit is lifeless, so also faith is lifeless if it is unaccompanied by obedience.
O ta ũrĩa mwĩrĩ ũtarĩ na roho ũrĩ mũkuũ-rĩ, ũguo noguo wĩtĩkio ũtarĩ ciĩko ũrĩ mũkuũ.

< James 2 >