Yakobo 2
1 Nɔvinye lɔlɔ̃awo, abe ame si xɔ míaƒe ŋutikɔkɔe ƒe Aƒetɔ, Yesu Kristo dzi se ene la, migakpɔ ame ŋkume o.
My brothers, do not hold the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with partiality.
2 Mítsɔe be ame aɖe va míaƒe ƒuƒoƒe, eye wòde sikasigɛ nyuitɔ, heta avɔ xɔasi, eye ame dahe si do awu vuvu hã ge ɖe sɔlemexɔa me.
For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in,
3 Ne mietsɔ bubu tɔxɛ na ame si do awu xɔasi hegblɔ nɛ be, “Va nɔ teƒe nyui sia,” gake miegblɔ na ame dahe la be, “Wò ya nɔ tsitre ɖe afi ma” alo “Nɔ anyigba le nye afɔ nu” la,
and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing and say, “Sit here in a good place;” and you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool”
4 ɖe miede vovototo ameawo me le mia dome, eye miezu ʋɔnudrɔ̃la siwo me susu vɔ̃ɖiwo le o mahã?
have not you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Nɔvinye lɔlɔ̃awo, miɖo tom: Ɖe Mawu metia ame siwo xexemetɔwo buna be wonye ame dahewo la be woanye kesinɔtɔwo le xɔse me, eye be woanyi fiaɖuƒe si ŋugbe wòdo na ame siwo lɔ̃nɛ la ƒe dome o mahã?
Listen, my beloved brothers. Did not God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him?
6 Ke miawo la, miedoa vlo ame dahewo. Ɖe menye kesinɔtɔwoe le mia bam oa? Alo menye woawo kee hea mi yia ʋɔnudrɔ̃ƒewo o mahã?
But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and personally drag you before the courts?
7 Ɖe menye woawoe le ɖi ƒom ame si ŋu bubuŋkɔ le, ame si tɔ mienye la oa?
Do not they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?
8 Ne mielé sedede si le mawunya me, esi gblɔ be, “Lɔ̃ hawòvi abe wò ŋutɔ ɖokuiwò ene” ɖe asi la, miele nu dzɔdzɔetɔ wɔm.
However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.
9 Ke ne miele ame ŋkume kpɔm la, miewɔ nu vɔ̃, eye se la bu fɔ mi be mienye sedzidalawo.
But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 Ame si wɔa Mawu ƒe sewo katã dzi, gake wòda le ɖeka pɛ dzi la, eda le wo katã dzi,
For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
11 elabena ame si de se be, “Mègawɔ ahasi o” la, eya kee de se be, “Mègawu ame o.” Eya ta ne mèwɔ ahasi o, gake nèwu ame la, ènye sedzidala.
For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 Miaƒe nuƒo kple agbenɔnɔ naɖee fia be wole ʋɔnu drɔ̃ ge mi kple se si naa ablɔɖe.
So speak and so do as men who are to be judged by the law of freedom.
13 Elabena ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ si me nublanuikpɔkpɔ mele o la woatsɔ na ame si mekpɔa nublanui o. Nublanuikpɔkpɔ ɖua ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ dzi.
For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
14 Nɔvinye lɔlɔ̃awo, viɖe ka wòanye ne ame aɖe gblɔ be xɔse le ye si, evɔ la, dɔwɔwɔ mekpe ɖe eŋu o? Ɖe xɔse sia tɔgbi ate ŋu aɖeea?
What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?
15 Mítsɔe be nɔviŋutsu alo nɔvinyɔnu aɖe li, esi si avɔ kple gbe sia gbe ƒe nuɖuɖu mele o.
And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,
16 Ne mia dometɔ aɖe agblɔ nɛ be, “Heyi le ŋutifafa me, naƒu dzo, eye nàɖi ƒo nyuie,” evɔ mehewɔ naneke le eƒe ŋutilãmehiahiãwo ŋuti o la, viɖe kae wònye?
and one of you tells them, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled;” yet you did not give them the things the body needs, what good is it?
17 Nenema kee nye xɔse ŋutɔ hã. Ne dɔwɔwɔ mekpe ɖe eŋu o la, enye nu kuku.
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.
18 Ke ame aɖe agblɔ dzideƒotɔe be, “Wò la, xɔse le asiwò, ke nye la, dɔwɔwɔwo le asinye.” Fia wò xɔse si ŋu dɔwɔwɔwo mekpe ɖo o lam, eye nye hã maɖe nye xɔse afia wò to dɔ siwo mewɔna la me.
Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 Èxɔe se be Mawu ɖeka koe li. Enyo, gake gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃wo hã xɔe se nenema, eye wodzona nyanyanya kple vɔvɔ̃.
You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder.
20 Wò bometsila, ɖe nèle kakaɖedzi dim hafi anya be xɔse dɔwɔwɔ manɔmee nye xɔse kukua?
But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?
21 Ɖe womebu mía tɔgbui Abraham be enye dzɔdzɔetɔ le nu si wòwɔ, esi wòtsɔ via Isak be yeasa vɔe na Mawu oa?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Edze ƒãa be xɔse wɔ dɔ kpe ɖe eƒe dɔwɔwɔwo ŋu, ale be eƒe xɔse de blibo to nu si wòwɔ la me.
You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected.
23 Esia wɔ ɖe mawunya si gblɔ be, “Abraham xɔ Mawu dzi se, eye wobui dzɔdzɔenyenye nɛ” la dzi, eye woyɔe be Mawu xɔlɔ̃.
So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.
24 Edze ƒãa be menye ame ƒe xɔse ɖeɖe koe wotsɔna tsoa afia nɛ o, ke boŋ dɔ siwo wòwɔ hã kpena ɖe eŋu.
You see then that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.
25 Nenema ke, ɖe womebu Rahab gbolo la gɔ̃ hã be enye dzɔdzɔetɔ le nu si wòwɔ, esi wòɣla ŋkutsala siwo dze egbɔ, eye wòna woto mɔ bubu dzo oa?
In the same way, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 Ale si ŋutilã gbɔgbɔmanɔmee nye nu kuku la, nenema ke xɔse dɔwɔwɔ manɔmee hã nye nu kuku.
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
