Jemis 5
1 Ugbu a geenụ ntị unu ndị ọgaranya, oge eruola mgbe unu kwesiri ịkwa akwa na ịsụ ude nʼihi nsogbu na-akwado ịbịakwasị unu.
Now [I have something to say to] the rich people [who do not believe in Christ and who] ([oppress you/cause you to suffer]). Listen [to me], you rich people! You should weep and wail [loudly] [DOU] because you will experience terrible troubles [PRS]!
2 Akụnụba unu ebidola ịta nchara, mkpu eripịakwala uwe unu.
Your wealth [of various kinds] is [worthless] [MET], [as though it were] rotted. Your fine clothes are [worthless] [MET], [as though] termites had ruined them.
3 Ọlaọcha na ọlaedo unu agbaala nchara. Nchara a ga-abụkwa ama megide unu, ọ ga-erepịa anụ ahụ unu dịka ọkụ. Unu akpakọtala akụ nʼụbọchị ikpeazụ ndị a.
Your gold and silver are [worthless] [MET], [as though they were] corroded. [When God judges you], this worthless wealth [MTY] of yours will be evidence [PRS] that you are guilty [of being greedy], and as rust and fire [destroy] [MET, SYN] things, [God] will severely punish you [SIM]. You have ([in vain/uselessly]) (stored up/accumulated) [wealth] at a time when [God] is about to [judge you] [MTY].
4 Geenụ ntị! Ụzụ akwa ndị ọrụ unu, ndị unu jụrụ ịkwụ ụgwọ ọrụ ha dị ka o kwesiri na-agbago imegide unu. Ụzụ akwa ndị ọrụ unu, ndị unu ghọgburu, eruola ntị Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile.
Think [about what you have done]. You have not paid wages to the workmen who have harvested your fields for you, [with the result that] [PRS] those reapers are crying out [to God for him to help them]. [And God], the all-powerful Lord, has heard their loud cries.
5 Unu ebiela ndụ nke oke oriri na oke ọṅụṅụ nʼelu ụwa, na ndụ inye anụ ahụ unu ihe ọbụla na-akpa ya mkpa. Ma ugbu a, anụ ahụ unu ahụ gbara abụba ejikerela na-eche ụbọchị mgburi ya.
You have lived luxuriously, just to have pleasure [here] on earth. [Just like cattle fatten themselves, not realizing that] they will be slaughtered [MET], you have [lived just for pleasure] [MTY], [not realizing that God will severely punish you].
6 Unu amala ndị aka ha dị ọcha ikpe, gbukwaa ha, ọ bụladị mgbe ha na-egbochighị unu.
You have [arranged for others/judges to] condemn innocent people. You have [arranged for others to kill] some people. [And even though] those people had not done anything wrong, they were not [able to] defend themselves against you. [My fellow believers, that is what I say to the rich people] ([who oppress you/cause you to suffer]).
7 Nweenụ ntachiobi, ụmụnna m, cherenụ ọbịbịa Onyenwe anyị. Lee otu onye ọrụ ubi si eji ndidi na-eche mkpụrụ ọ kụrụ nʼala ubi ka ọ mịa. O ji ndidi na-eche ka mmiri ozuzo nke mbụ na nke ikpeazụ zokwasị ubi ya.
So, my fellow believers, [although rich people cause you to suffer], be patient until the Lord [Jesus Christ] comes [back]. Remember that when farmers [plant a field], they wait for their valuable crops to grow. They must wait patiently for the rain [that comes] at the planting season and for more rain [that comes] just before the harvest season. They wait [for] the crops [to grow and mature before they can harvest them].
8 Unu onwe unu kwesikwara inwe ndidi guzosiekwa ike nʼihi na ọbịbịa Onyenwe anyị dị nso.
[Similarly], you also should [wait] patiently and trust the Lord [Jesus] firmly, because he is coming [back] soon [and will judge all people fairly].
9 Ụmụnna m, unu atamula ntamu megide ibe unu, ka a hapụ ikpe unu ikpe! Lee, onye ikpe ahụ guzo nʼọnụ ụzọ.
My fellow believers, do not complain about each other, in order that you will not be condemned [and punished by the Lord Jesus] {in order that [the Lord Jesus] will not condemn you}. It is he who will judge us, and he is ready to appear.
10 Ụmụnna m, dị ka ihe ilere anya banyere inwe ndidi na ahụhụ, mụtanụ ihe site nʼaka ndị amụma bụ ndị kwuru okwu nʼaha Onyenwe anyị.
My fellow believers, as an example [of how to be patient], (consider/think about) the prophets whom the Lord [God sent long ago] to speak his messages [MTY]. [Although people caused] the prophets to suffer a lot, they endured it patiently.
11 Anyị na-agụ ha ugbu a dịka ndị a gọziri agọzi nʼihi iguzosike ha. Unu anụla maka ogologo ntachiobi nke Job nwere, unu ahụkwala nzube Onyenwe anyị nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị jupụtara nʼebere na ọmịiko.
And we know that [God] (approves of/is pleased with) those who endure [suffering for him]. You have also heard about Job. You know that [although he suffered much], the Lord [God] finally caused things to turn out well [for Job because] he endured [that suffering] (OR, because he continued [to trust God]). [And from that we know] that the Lord is very compassionate and kind.
12 Karịsịa ụmụnna m, unu aṅụla iyi. Unu aṅụkwala iyi mgbe ọbụla, ọ bụladị iji eluigwe maọbụ ụwa, maọbụ ihe ọbụla ọzọ ṅụọ iyi. Kama ka “E” unu bụrụ “E.” Ka “E e,” unu bụrụkwa “E e.” Ka unu hapụ isite nʼụzọ dị otu a mehie ma wetakwara onwe unu ikpe ọmụma.
Also, my fellow believers, [I want to say] something important [about how you talk]. [If you say that you will do something], do not say, “If I do not do it, may [God in] heaven [MTY] punish me.” Do not even say, “If I do not do it, may [someone here on] earth [MTY] punish me.” Do not say anything like that. Instead, if you say “Yes,” then [do what you said that you would do]. If you say “No,” then do not [do it]. Otherwise, [God] will condemn you.
13 Ọ dị onye ọbụla nʼetiti unu nọ na nsogbu? Ka onye dị otu ahụ kpee ekpere. Ọ dị onye na-aṅụrị ọṅụ? Ya bụọ abụ otuto.
Whoever among you is experiencing trouble [RHQ] should pray [that God would help him. Whoever] is cheerful/happy [RHQ] should sing songs of praise [to God].
14 Ọ dị onye nọ nʼetiti unu ahụ na-esighị ike? Ya kpọọ ndị okenye chọọchị ka ha kpeere ya ekpere, ka ha wụkwasịkwa ya mmanụ otite nʼisi kpọkuokwa aha Onyenwe anyị.
Whoever among you is sick [RHQ] should call the leaders of the congregation [to come to pray for him]. They should put [olive] oil on him and, with the Lord’s authority [MTY] (OR, calling on the Lord [to heal him]), pray.
15 Ekpere nke okwukwe ga-azọpụta onye ọrịa ahụ. Onyenwe anyị ga-ekulite ya, ọ bụrụkwa na o mehiere, a ga-agbaghara ya.
And if they truly trust [in the Lord] when they pray [PRS], the sick person will be healed. The Lord will heal him. And if that person has sinned ([in a way that caused him to be/and because of that he became]) [sick, if he] ([confesses what he did/says that he did what is wrong]), he will be forgiven {[the Lord] will forgive him}.
16 Ya mere kwupụtaranụ ibe unu mmehie unu. Kpeekwaranụ ibe unu ekpere ka e nwe ike gwọọ unu. Ekpere onye ezi omume dị ike dịkwa ire.
So, [because the Lord is able to heal the sick and to forgive sins], tell each other the sinful things that you have done, and pray for each other in order that you may be healed {that [God] may heal you} [physically and spiritually]. If righteous people [pray and] ask fervently [for God to do something, God] will certainly do it in a powerful way.
17 Ịlaịja bụ mmadụ dị ka anyị, ma o kpere ekpere rịọ ka mmiri hapụ izo, mmiri ezokwaghị nʼala ahụ ruo afọ atọ na ọnwa isii.
[Although the prophet] Elijah was (an ordinary person/just a human being) like us, he earnestly prayed that it would not rain. [As a result], it did not rain for three and a half years.
18 Emesịa, o kpekwara ekpere ọzọ, eluigwe nyere mmiri ozuzo, meekwa ka ala pupụta ihe oriri.
Then he prayed again, [asking God to send rain], and [as a result God] [MTY] sent rain, and plants [grew and] produced crops [again].
19 Ụmụnna m, ọ bụrụ na onye ọbụla nʼetiti unu esite nʼeziokwu ahụ jehie, ma otu onye nʼime unu akpọghachi ya azụ,
My fellow believers, if anyone of you stops obeying the true message [from God], someone from among you should persuade that person to once again do [what God has told us to do]. [If he stops doing what is wrong],
20 chetanụ nke a na onye ọbụla kpọghachitere onye mmehie azụ site na njehie ya, ga-azọpụta ha nʼaka ọnwụ ma kpuchiekwa ọtụtụ mmehie.
the one [who persuaded him] should realize that [because] he has enabled the person who was sinning to stop doing what is wrong, [God] will save that person from ([spiritual] death/being separated from him forever), and will forgive [his] many sins.
