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 Brothers, are you really trying to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with the worship of rank?
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,
Suppose a man should enter your Synagogue, with gold rings and in grand clothes, and suppose a poor man should come in also, in shabby clothes,
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 you are deferential to the man who is wearing grand clothes, and say — “There is a good seat for you here,” but to the poor man — “You must stand; or sit down there by my footstool,”
4 githĩ mũtiagĩthutũkania inyuĩ ene, na mwatuĩka atuanĩri ciira marĩ na meciiria mooru?
Is not that to make distinctions among yourselves, and show yourselves prejudiced judges?
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, my dear Brothers. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the things of this world to be rich through their faith, and to possess the Kingdom which 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 — you insult the poor man! Is not it the rich who oppress you? Is not it they who drag you into law-courts?
7 Ningĩ githĩ ti o macambagia rĩĩtwa rĩrĩa rĩrĩ gĩtĩĩo, o rĩu rĩa ũrĩa mũrĩ ake?
Is not it they who malign that honourable Name which has been bestowed upon you?
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.
Yet, if you keep the royal law which runs — ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thou dost thyself,’ you are doing right;
9 No angĩkorwo mũtĩĩagĩra andũ maũthĩ-rĩ, nĩ kwĩhia mwĩhagia na mũrĩ atuĩre nĩ watho atĩ mũrĩ aagarari watho.
but, if you worship rank, you commit a sin, and stand convicted by that same law of being offenders against it.
10 Nĩgũkorwo ũrĩa wothe ũhingagia watho wothe, no akahĩngwo nĩ kaũndũ o kamwe ka guo, mũndũ ũcio nĩagararĩte watho wothe.
For a man who has laid the Law, as a whole, to heart, but has failed in one particular, is liable for breaking all its provisions.
11 Tondũ ũrĩa woigire atĩ, “Ndũkanatharanie,” nowe woigire atĩ, “Ndũkanoragane.” Rĩu-rĩ, ũngĩaga gũtharania no ũragane-rĩ, wee nĩũtuĩkĩte mwagarari wa watho.
He who said ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery’ also said ‘Thou shalt not murder.’ If, then, you commit murder but not adultery, you are still an offender against the Law.
12 Aragiai na mwĩkage maũndũ manyu o ta mũrĩ arĩa magaatuĩrwo ciira nĩ watho ũrĩa ũheanaga wĩyathi,
Therefore, speak and act as men who are to be judged by the ‘Law of Freedom.’
13 tondũ mũndũ ũrĩa ũtuanĩire ciira atekũiguanĩra tha-rĩ, ũcio nake agaatuĩrwo ciira atekũiguĩrwo tha. Nacio tha nĩitooragia ũtuanĩri wa ciira!
For there will be justice without mercy for him who has not acted mercifully. Mercy triumphs over Justice.
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 Brothers, what is the good of a man’s saying that he has faith, if he does not prove it by actions? Can such faith save him?
15 Mũrũ wa Ithe witũ kana mwarĩ wa Ithe witũ angĩkorwo ndarĩ na nguo cia kwĩhumba, kana irio cia kũrĩa o mũthenya,
Suppose some Brother or Sister should be in want of clothes and of daily bread,
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 one of you were to say to them — “Go, and peace be with you; find warmth and food for yourselves,” and yet you were not to give them the necessaries of life, what good would it be to them?
17 Ũguo no taguo wĩtĩkio mũtheri ũtarĩ na ciĩko ũhaana, nĩ mũkuũ guo mwene.
In just the same way faith, if not followed by actions, is, by itself, a lifeless thing.
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.
Some one, indeed, may say — “You are a man of faith, and I am a man of action.” “Then show me your faith,” I reply, “apart from any actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions.”
19 Wee nĩwĩtĩkĩtie atĩ Ngai no ũmwe. Ũguo nĩ wega! O nacio ndaimono nĩciĩtĩkĩtie ũguo, na ikainaina.
It is a part of your Faith, is it not, that there is one God? Good; yet even the demons have that faith, and tremble at the thought.
20 Wee kĩrimũ gĩkĩ, nĩ ũira ũrakĩenda wa kuonania atĩ wĩtĩkio ũtarĩ na ciĩko nĩ wa tũhũ?
Now do you really want to understand, you foolish man, how it is that faith without actions leads to nothing?
21 Githĩ Iburahĩmu, ithe witũ wa tene, ndaatuirwo mũthingu nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa eekire rĩrĩa aarutire mũriũ Isaaka kĩgongona-inĩ?
Look at our ancestor, Abraham. Was not it the result of his actions that he was pronounced righteous after he had offered his son, Isaac, on the altar?
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 see how, in his case, faith and actions went together; that his faith was perfected as the result of his actions;
23 Namo Maandĩko makĩhingio marĩa moigĩte atĩrĩ, “Iburahĩmu agĩĩtĩkia Ngai, nakuo gwĩtĩkia kũu gũgĩtũma atuuo mũthingu,” nake agĩĩtwo mũrata wa Ngai.
and that in this way the words of Scripture came true — “Abraham believed God, and that was regarded by God as righteousness,” and “He was called the friend of God.”
24 Nĩmũkuona atĩ mũndũ atuagwo mũthingu nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa ekaga, no ti ũndũ wa wĩtĩkio wiki.
You see, then, that it is as the result of his actions that a man is pronounced righteous, and not of his faith only.
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?
Was not it the same with the prostitute, Rahab? Was not it as the result of her actions that she was pronounced righteous, after she had welcomed the messengers and hastened them away by a different road?
26 O ta ũrĩa mwĩrĩ ũtarĩ na roho ũrĩ mũkuũ-rĩ, ũguo noguo wĩtĩkio ũtarĩ ciĩko ũrĩ mũkuũ.
Exactly as a body is dead without a spirit, so faith is dead without actions.
