Yakobo 2
1 Abooluganda, mmwe abakkiririza mu Mukama waffe Yesu Kristo, Mukama ow’ekitiibwa, temusosolanga mu bantu.
My fellow believers, [because] you trust our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is glorious/wonderful, stop honoring some people more than others.
2 Kubanga singa omuntu omu ajja mu kuŋŋaaniro lyammwe, ng’ayambadde engoye ez’omuwendo omunene, ng’anaanise n’empeta eza zaabu ku ngalo ze, mu kiseera kye kimu ne wajjawo n’omusajja omwavu ng’ali mu ngoye ezisensusesensuse,
[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 ne mwaniriza omugagga, ne mumugamba nti, “Tuulira wano kyokka ne mugamba omwavu nti ggwe oyinza okuyimirira wali, oba si ekyo tuula wano wansi w’akatebe kwe nteeka ebigere byange,”
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 kale muba temwesosoddeemu mwekka na mwekka nga mukyamizibwa ebirowoozo byammwe ebibi?
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 Mumpulirize, abooluganda abaagalwa, Katonda teyalonda abo ensi b’eyita abaavu, okuba abagagga mu kukkiriza, era okuba abasika ab’obwakabaka obw’omu ggulu, Katonda bwe yasuubiza abo abamwagala?
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 Naye munyooma omwavu. Abagagga si be babanyigiriza ne babatwala ne mu mbuga z’amateeka?
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 Era si be banyoomoola erinnya eddungi lye muyitibwa?
(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 Kiba kirungi nnyo era kya kitiibwa bwe mugondera etteeka eriri mu Kyawandiikibwa erigamba nti, “Yagalanga muliraanwa wo nga bwe weeyagala wekka.”
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 Naye bwe musosola mu bantu muba mukoze kibi, n’etteeka libasingisa omusango ng’aboonoonyi.
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 Era omuntu akwata amateeka gonna, naye n’asobyako erimu, omusango gumusinga mu ngeri y’emu ng’oli asobezza amateeka gonna.
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 Kubanga Katonda eyagamba nti, “Toyendanga,” era y’omu eyagamba nti, “Tottanga.” Noolwekyo singa toyenda, naye n’otta oba mumenyi wa mateeka gonna.
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 Noolwekyo mwogere era mukole ng’amateeka ag’eddembe bwe gali naye nga mumanyi nti tunaatera okulamulwa.
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 Kubanga abo abatalina kisa, nabo tebalikwatirwa kisa. Ekisa kiwangula omusango.
[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 Abooluganda, kibagasa ki okugamba nti mulina okukkiriza kyokka ng’okukkiriza kwammwe temukwoleka mu bikolwa? Mulowooza ng’okukkiriza ng’okwo kugenda kubalokola?
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 Singa muganda wo oba mwannyoko takyalina kyakwambala wadde ekyokulya,
[To illustrate], suppose that fellow believers, either men or women, don’t have enough clothing or food for each day.
16 naye omu ku mmwe n’amugamba nti, “Genda mirembe, obugume, era olye bulungi”, naye nga tamuwaddeeyo byetaago bya mubiri, olwo kimugasa ki?
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 Noolwekyo n’okukkiriza bwe kutyo; bwe kutabaako bikolwa kuba kufu.
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 Naye omuntu ayinza okugamba nti, “Ggwe olina okukkiriza nange nnina ebikolwa; ndaga okukkiriza kwo okutaliiko bikolwa, nange nkulage ebikolwa byange nga bwe bikakasa okukkiriza kwange.”
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 Okukkiriza obukkiriza nti waliwo Katonda omu yekka, kirungi. Naye ne baddayimooni nabo bakkiriza n’okukankana ne bakankana!
[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 Musirusiru ggwe! Oliyiga ddi ng’okukkiriza okutaliiko bikolwa tekuliiko kye kugasa?
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 Jjajjaffe Ibulayimu teyaweebwa obutuukirivu olw’ekikolwa kye yakola, bwe yawaayo omwana we lsaaka, afiire ku kyoto?
(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 Mulaba nga Ibulayimu bwe yalina okukkiriza, era okukkiriza kwe ne kutuukirizibwa olw’ebikolwa bye,
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 n’ekyawandiikibwa ne kituukirizibwa ekigamba nti, “Ibulayimu yakkiriza Katonda, ne kimubalirwa okuba obutuukirivu, era n’ayitibwa mukwano gwa Katonda.”
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 Kaakano mutegedde ng’omuntu asiimibwa Katonda olw’ebyo by’akola, so si lwa kukkiriza kyokka.
[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 Ekyokulabirako ekirala kye kya Lakabu, eyali malaaya. Teyaweebwa butuukirivu lwa kikolwa eky’okusembeza ababaka, n’oluvannyuma n’abasiibulira mu kkubo eddala nga baddayo, okubawonya?
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 Ng’omubiri bwe guba omufu omwoyo bwe gutagubeeramu, n’okukkiriza bwe kutyo kuba kufu bwe kuteeyolekera mu bikolwa.
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.
