< Jakubu 1 >
1 Nĩ niĩ Jakubu, ndungata ya Ngai na ya Mwathani Jesũ Kristũ, Ndĩramwandĩkĩra inyuĩ a mĩhĩrĩga ĩrĩa ikũmi na ĩĩrĩ mũhurunjĩtwo thĩ yothe: Nĩndamũgeithia.
James, a Servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, greets the Twelve Tribes that are living abroad.
2 Ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ, rĩrĩa rĩothe mwakorwo nĩ magerio ma mĩthemba mĩingĩ-rĩ, tuagai atĩ ũguo nĩ gĩkeno gĩtheri.
My Brothers, whatever may be the temptations that beset you from time to time, always regard them as a reason for rejoicing,
3 tondũ nĩmũũĩ atĩ kũgerio kwa wĩtĩkio wanyu kũrehaga gũkirĩrĩria.
knowing, as you do, that the testing of your faith develops endurance.
4 Rekei gũkirĩrĩria kwanyu kũrute wĩra wakuo, nĩgeetha mũtuĩke andũ aagĩrĩru kũna na agima, mũtarĩ na ũndũ mwagĩte.
And let endurance do its work perfectly, so that you may be altogether perfect, and in no respect deficient.
5 Na rĩrĩ, mũndũ wanyu angĩkorwo aagĩte ũũgĩ-rĩ, nĩahooe Ngai, ũrĩa ũheaga andũ othe na ũtaana, na atarĩ na ũũru ngoro, nake nĩekũheo ũũgĩ ũcio.
If one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask wisdom from the God who gives freely to every one without reproaches, and it will be given to him.
6 No rĩrĩa ekũhooya-rĩ, nĩahooe etĩkĩtie, na ndagathanganie, tondũ mũndũ ũrĩa ũthanganagia ahaana ta ikũmbĩ rĩa iria inene, rĩrĩa rĩhurutagwo nĩ rũhuho na rĩkarũgarũũgio.
But let him ask with confidence, never doubting; for the man who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven hither and thither at the mercy of the wind —
7 Mũndũ ũcio ndageciirie atĩ nĩakaheo kĩndũ o nakĩ nĩ Mwathani;
Such a man must not expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 ũcio nĩ mũndũ wa ngoro igĩrĩ, ũtarĩ hĩndĩ akindagĩria maũndũ-inĩ mothe marĩa ekaga.
vacillating as he is, irresolute at every turn.
9 Mũrũ kana mwarĩ wa Ithe witũ ũrĩa wĩnyiihagia aagĩrĩirwo nĩ kwĩraha nĩ ũndũ nĩatũũgĩrĩtio.
Let a Brother in humble circumstances be proud of his exalted position, but a rich Brother of his humiliation;
10 No ũrĩa mũtongu nĩerahage nĩ ũndũ wa kũnyiihio gwake, tondũ agaathira ta ihũa rĩa gĩthaka.
for the rich man will pass away ‘like the flower of the grass.’
11 Nĩgũkorwo riũa rĩrathaga rĩrĩ na ũrugarĩ mũhiũ wa gũcina narĩo rĩkahoohia mũmera; nakĩo kĩro kĩaguo gĩgaitĩka na ũthaka waguo ũkanangwo. Ũguo no taguo mũndũ ũrĩa mũtongu akaahwererekera o akĩrutaga wĩra wake.
As the sun rises, and the hot wind blows, ‘the grass withers, its flower fades,’ and all its beauty is gone. So is it with the rich man. In the midst of his pursuits he will come to an untimely end.
12 Kũrathimwo-rĩ, nĩ mũndũ ũrĩa ũũmagĩrĩria rĩrĩa ekũgerio, tondũ aatooria magerio, nĩakaheo thũmbĩ ya muoyo ĩrĩa Ngai erĩire arĩa mamwendete.
Blessed is the man who remains firm under temptation, for, when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of Life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mwagerio, mũndũ o naũ ndakanoige atĩrĩ, “Ngai nĩarangeria.” Nĩgũkorwo Ngai ndangĩhota kũgerio nĩ ũũru, o nake mwene ndageragia mũndũ o na ũrĩkũ;
Let no one say, when he is tempted, “It is God who is tempting me!” For God, who cannot be tempted to do wrong, does not himself tempt any one.
14 no rĩrĩ, mũndũ nĩkũgerio ageragio hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ekũguucĩrĩrio na akaheenererio nĩ merirĩria make mooru.
A man is in every case tempted by his own passions — allured and enticed by them.
15 Namo merirĩria marĩkia kũgĩa nda, maciaraga mehia; namo mehia hĩndĩ ĩrĩa maakũra biũ, magaciara gĩkuũ.
Then Passion conceives and gives birth to Sin, and Sin, on reaching maturity, brings forth Death.
16 Ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ inyuĩ nyenda mũno-rĩ, mũtikanaheenio.
Do not be deceived, my dear Brothers.
17 Kĩheo gĩothe kĩega na gĩkinyanĩru kiumaga igũrũ, gĩikũrũkĩte kuuma kũrĩ Ithe wa motheri ma igũrũ, ũrĩa ũtagarũrũkaga ta ciĩruru iria igarũrũkaga.
Every good thing given us, and every perfect gift, is from above, and comes down to us from the Maker of the Lights in the heavens, who is himself never subject to change or to eclipse.
18 Nĩwe watũciarire nĩ kwenda na ũndũ wa ũhoro-ũrĩa-wa-ma, nĩguo tũtuĩke ta maciaro ma mbere ma indo ciothe iria ombire.
Because he so willed, he gave us Life, through the Message of the Truth, so that we should be, as it were, an earnest of still further creations.
19 Ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ inyuĩ nyenda mũno, menyai ũũ: O mũndũ nĩahiũhage gũthikĩrĩria, no ndakahiũhage kwaria o na kana kũrakara,
Mark this, my dear Brothers — Let every one be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry;
20 nĩgũkorwo marakara ma mũndũ matirehaga mũtũũrĩre wa ũthingu ũrĩa Ngai endaga.
for the anger of man does not forward the righteous purpose of God.
21 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, eheriai maũndũ mothe marĩ magigi, na ũũru ũrĩa ũkĩrĩrĩirie kũingĩha, na mwĩnyiihĩtie, mwĩtĩkĩre kiugo kĩrĩa kĩhaandĩtwo thĩinĩ wanyu, o kĩrĩa kĩngĩmũhonokia.
Therefore, have done with all filthiness and whatever wickedness still remains, and in a humble spirit receive that Message which has been planted in your hearts and is able to save your souls.
22 Mũtigatuĩke o a gũthikagĩrĩria kiugo tu, no tuĩkai a gwĩka ũrĩa kiugĩte, nĩguo mũtikeheenie inyuĩ ene.
Put that Message into practice, and do not merely listen to it — deceiving yourselves.
23 Mũndũ o wothe ũthikagĩrĩria kiugo no ndekaga ũrĩa kiugĩte-rĩ, ahaana ta mũndũ ũrĩa wĩroraga ũthiũ na gĩcicio,
For, when any one listens to it and does not practice it, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror.
24 na thuutha wa kwĩrora, agethiĩra na akariganĩrwo o narua nĩ ũrĩa ahaana.
He looks at himself, then goes on his way,
25 No mũndũ ũrĩa ũroraga wega watho ũrĩa mũkinyanĩru kũna ũrĩa ũheanaga wĩyathi, na agathiĩ na mbere gwĩka ũguo, atekũriganĩrwo nĩ ũrĩa aiguĩte no akawĩkaga-rĩ, ũcio nĩarĩrathimagĩrwo maũndũ marĩa ekaga.
but he who looks carefully into the perfect Law, the Law of Freedom, and continues to do so, not listening to it and then forgetting it, but putting it into practice — that man will be blessed in what he does.
26 Mũndũ o wothe angĩĩtua mũndũ wa ndini no aremwo nĩ gwatha rũrĩmĩ rwake-rĩ, mũndũ ũcio nĩ kwĩheenia eheenagia, na ũndini wake nĩ wa tũhũ.
When a man appears to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue, but imposes upon his own conscience, that man’s religious observances are valueless.
27 Ũndini ũrĩa Ngai Ithe witũ etĩkagĩra atĩ nĩ mũtheru na ndũrĩ na mahĩtia nĩ ũyũ: nĩ kũroraga ciana cia ngoriai na atumia a ndigwa hĩndĩ ĩrĩa marĩ mathĩĩna-inĩ mao, na ningĩ mũndũ etheemage ndagathũkio nĩ maũndũ ma gũkũ thĩ.
That religious observance which is pure and spotless in the eyes of God our Father is this — to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself uncontaminated by the world.