Jakubu 2
1 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.
My fellow believers, [because] you trust our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is glorious/wonderful, stop honoring some people more than others.
2 Tondũ-rĩ, ĩ hihi kũngĩũka mũndũ kĩũngano-inĩ kĩanyu ekĩrĩte gĩcũhĩ gĩa thahabu na nguo njega, na gũũke mũndũ mũthĩĩni ũtehumbĩte nguo njega-rĩ,
[For example], suppose that a person who wears gold rings and fine clothes enters your meeting place. Then suppose that a poor person who wears shabby/ragged clothes also comes in.
3 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,”
And [suppose] that you (show special attention to/treat better) the one who is dressed in fine clothes by saying, “Sit here in this good seat!” and you say to the poor one, “Stand there or sit on the floor [MTY]!”
4 githĩ mũtiagĩthutũkania inyuĩ ene, na mwatuĩka atuanĩri ciira marĩ na meciiria mooru?
Then you have obviously [RHQ] caused divisions in the congregation (OR, you are clearly treating one better than the others, and you are using evil [motives/reasons] to ([evaluate people/decide whether people are important or not])).
5 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?
Listen [to me], my fellow believers whom I love: God has chosen [RHQ] poor people whom [unbelievers consider to] possess nothing of value, [so that he might bless them] greatly [because] they trust [in him], and in order that they will enter the place where [he] will rule [MET] [forever]. That is what he has promised to those who love him.
6 No inyuĩ nĩ mũnyararaga arĩa athĩĩni. Githĩ ti itonga imũhinyagĩrĩria? Githĩ ti o mamũtwaraga igooti-inĩ na hinya?
But you dishonor the poor people. Think about it! (It is rich people, [not poor people], who are causing you to suffer!/Isn’t it rich people, [not poor people], who are oppressing you?) [RHQ] (It is [the rich people] who forcibly take you to court [to accuse you in front of judges]!/Is it not [the rich people] who forcibly take you to court [to accuse you in front of judges]?) [RHQ]
7 Ningĩ githĩ ti o macambagia rĩĩtwa rĩrĩa rĩrĩ gĩtĩĩo, o rĩu rĩa ũrĩa mũrĩ ake?
(And they are the ones who say evil things about Jesus Christ, the one who is worthy [of praise], to whom you belong!/Are they not the ones who say evil things about Jesus Christ, the one who is worthy [of praise], to whom you belong?) [RHQ]
8 Angĩkorwo nĩmũhingagia watho ũrĩa mũtue nĩ mũthamaki ũrĩa wandĩkĩtwo Maandĩko-inĩ atĩrĩ, “Enda mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ o ta ũrĩa wĩyendete wee mwene,” nĩmwĩkaga wega.
In the Scriptures [God has commanded] each of you to love other people like you love yourself. That commandment was [also given] by [Jesus our] King [MTY]. If you [are loving others], you are doing what is right.
9 No angĩkorwo mũtĩĩagĩra andũ maũthĩ-rĩ, nĩ kwĩhia mwĩhagia na mũrĩ atuĩre nĩ watho atĩ mũrĩ aagarari watho.
But if you honor some people more than others, you are (doing wrong/sinning). And because you [do not do what God commanded us to do], he condemns you [PRS] because you disobey his laws.
10 Nĩgũkorwo ũrĩa wothe ũhingagia watho wothe, no akahĩngwo nĩ kaũndũ o kamwe ka guo, mũndũ ũcio nĩagararĩte watho wothe.
Do not forget that those who disobey only one of God’s laws, even if they obey all [his other] laws, [God considers them] to be [as guilty as anyone who has disobeyed] all [of] God’s [laws].
11 Tondũ ũrĩa woigire atĩ, “Ndũkanatharanie,” nowe woigire atĩ, “Ndũkanoragane.” Rĩu-rĩ, ũngĩaga gũtharania no ũragane-rĩ, wee nĩũtuĩkĩte mwagarari wa watho.
For example, [God] said, “Do not commit adultery,” but he also said, “Do not murder anyone.” [So] if you [(sg)] do not commit adultery but you [(sg)] murder someone, you [(sg)] have become a person who disobeys [God’s] laws.
12 Aragiai na mwĩkage maũndũ manyu o ta mũrĩ arĩa magaatuĩrwo ciira nĩ watho ũrĩa ũheanaga wĩyathi,
Continually speak and act [toward others] as people should who will be judged {whom [God] will judge} by the law that frees us [from being punished] {[God punishing us]} [for our sins].
13 tondũ mũndũ ũrĩa ũtuanĩire ciira atekũiguanĩra tha-rĩ, ũcio nake agaatuĩrwo ciira atekũiguĩrwo tha. Nacio tha nĩitooragia ũtuanĩri wa ciira!
[Speak and act like that], because when [God] judges us, he will not act mercifully toward those who do not act mercifully toward others. But when we [are] merciful [to others, we can rejoice], because [our being] merciful [shows] that [we are acting like people whom God] has mercifully saved from being judged (OR, [we can rejoice] because [God] will judge us mercifully).
14 Ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ, gũkĩrĩ na uumithio ũrĩkũ mũndũ angiuga atĩ arĩ na wĩtĩkio, no ndarĩ na ciĩko? Wĩtĩkio ũcio wakĩmũhonokia?
My fellow believers, [there are some people who say], “I believe [in the Lord Jesus Christ],” but they do not do good things [for other people]. (Their saying that will certainly not do them any good!/What good will their saying that do for them?) [RHQ] [God] will certainly not save [people like that who say that they believe, but do not do good things]! [RHQ]
15 Mũrũ wa Ithe witũ kana mwarĩ wa Ithe witũ angĩkorwo ndarĩ na nguo cia kwĩhumba, kana irio cia kũrĩa o mũthenya,
[To illustrate], suppose that fellow believers, either men or women, don’t have enough clothing or food for each day.
16 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?
And suppose that one of you says to them, “May [God] bless you and supply the clothing and food that you need!” but you [(sg)] do not give them the things that they need. (That would be no help [to them]!/What help is that [to them]?) [RHQ]
17 Ũguo no taguo wĩtĩkio mũtheri ũtarĩ na ciĩko ũhaana, nĩ mũkuũ guo mwene.
Similarly, [those who do] not do good things [to help others, what they have said about] their believing [in Christ] is [as useless] [MET] [as] a dead person [is useless]. They do not [really believe in Christ].
18 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.
But someone may say [to me], “[God saves] some people only [because] they trust [in him], and [he saves] others [because] they do good deeds [to people].” [I would answer that person], “[You(sg) cannot] prove to me that people truly trust [in God if] they do not do good things [for others]. But by doing good things [for others] I will prove to you that I truly trust [in God”]
19 Wee nĩwĩtĩkĩtie atĩ Ngai no ũmwe. Ũguo nĩ wega! O nacio ndaimono nĩciĩtĩkĩtie ũguo, na ikainaina.
[Think about it]! You believe that there is only one God, and you are right [to believe that]. But the demons also believe that, but they tremble [with fear because they know that God is going to punish them].
20 Wee kĩrimũ gĩkĩ, nĩ ũira ũrakĩenda wa kuonania atĩ wĩtĩkio ũtarĩ na ciĩko nĩ wa tũhũ?
Also, you foolish person, I will [RHQ] prove to you [(sg)] that [if someone says], “I trust [in God],” but he does not do good things, [what that person says] will not benefit him.
21 Githĩ Iburahĩmu, ithe witũ wa tene, ndaatuirwo mũthingu nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa eekire rĩrĩa aarutire mũriũ Isaaka kĩgongona-inĩ?
(It was certainly [because of] what our [revered] ancestor Abraham did, when he [prepared to] sacrifice his son Isaac, that he was considered [by God] {that [God] considered him} to be a righteous, [obedient] person./Was it not [because of] what our [revered] ancestor Abraham did, when he [prepared to] sacrifice his son Isaac, that he was considered [by God] {that [God] considered him} to be a righteous, [obedient] person?) [RHQ]
22 Mũtigũkĩona atĩ wĩtĩkio wake nĩ warutire wĩra hamwe na ciĩko ciake, naguo wĩtĩkio wake ũgĩtuuo mũiganĩru kũna nĩ ũndũ wa ciĩko icio ciake.
You [(sg)] can realize that he was not only trusting [in God], but he was also doing [what God told him to do], and [you(sg) can realize] that he was able to trust [in God more] completely because of having done [what God told him to do].
23 Namo Maandĩko makĩhingio marĩa moigĩte atĩrĩ, “Iburahĩmu agĩĩtĩkia Ngai, nakuo gwĩtĩkia kũu gũgĩtũma atuuo mũthingu,” nake agĩĩtwo mũrata wa Ngai.
And [so it happened as it is written in the] Scriptures: “Because Abraham truly trusted in God, he was considered [by God] to be {[God] considered that he was} righteous.” And [God also] said [about Abraham], “He is my friend.”
24 Nĩmũkuona atĩ mũndũ atuagwo mũthingu nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa ekaga, no ti ũndũ wa wĩtĩkio wiki.
[From the example of Abraham], you can realize that it is because people do good things that [God] considers them to be righteous, and not only because they trust [in him].
25 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?
Similarly, it was certainly [RHQ] [because of] what Rahab did, that [God] considered her to be a righteous, [obedient] person. Rahab was [previously] a prostitute, but she cared for the Israelite men who came [to] ([spy out the land/see what that area was like]) and she [helped them to escape by] sending them home on a different road [from the one that they came on].
26 O ta ũrĩa mwĩrĩ ũtarĩ na roho ũrĩ mũkuũ-rĩ, ũguo noguo wĩtĩkio ũtarĩ ciĩko ũrĩ mũkuũ.
Remember that when our spirits [permanently leave our] bodies, [our bodies] are dead [and useless]. Similarly [SIM], [if someone says], “I trust [in God],” but does not do [things to help others, what that person says about trusting in God] is useless.
