UJakhobe 1
1 UJakhobe inceku kaNkulunkulu leyeNkosi uJesu Khristu, Kuzo izizwana ezilitshumi lambili ezihlakazekele phakathi kwezizwe: Ngiyalibingelela.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, greets the twelve tribes that are living abroad.
2 Bazalwane bami, lapho lisehlelwa yizilingo ezitshiyeneyo, kubaleni njengentokozo epheleleyo
My friends, whatever trials you may face from time to time, always regard them as a reason for rejoicing,
3 ngoba liyakwazi ukuthi ukuhlolwa kokholo lwenu kukhulisa ukubekezela.
knowing, as you do, that the testing of your faith develops endurance.
4 Ukubekezela kufanele kuwuqede umsebenzi wakho ukuze lina likhule njalo liphelele, lingasileli ngalutho.
And let endurance do its work perfectly, so that you may be altogether perfect, and in no respect lacking.
5 Nxa omunye wenu eswela ukuhlakanipha kumele acele kuNkulunkulu onika bonke ngesihle engadinganga sici, ngempela uzakuphiwa.
If any one of you lacks wisdom, they should ask wisdom from the God who gives freely to everyone without reproach, and it will be given to them.
6 Kodwa lapho ecela kumele akholwe angathandabuzi ngoba othandabuzayo unjengegagasi lolwandle eliphetshulwa ngumoya uliphose.
But they should ask with confidence, never doubting; for the person who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven here and there at the mercy of the wind –
7 Umuntu lowo akumelanga acabange ukuthi kulolutho azaluthola eNkosini;
Such a person must not expect that they will receive anything from the Lord,
8 ungumuntu ongqondombili, kazinzanga kukho konke akwenzayo.
vacillating as they are, irresolute at every turn.
9 Umzalwane olesimo esiphansi kumele aziqhenye ngesikhundla sakhe esiphezulu.
Let a follower in humble circumstances be proud of their exalted position,
10 Kodwa lowo onothileyo kumele aziqhenye ngesikhundla sakhe esiphansi, ngoba uzadlula njengeluba leganga.
but a rich follower of their humiliation; for the rich will pass away like a wild flower.
11 Ngoba ilanga liphuma litshisa okuhangulayo libunise ihlumela, umqhakazo walo uwohloke lobuhle balo buphele. Ngokufanayo umuntu onothileyo uzanyamalala elokhu esawenza umsebenzi wakhe.
As the sun rises, and the hot wind blows, the plant withers, its flower fades, and all its beauty is gone. So is it with the rich. In the midst of their pursuits they will wither away.
12 Ubusisiwe umuntu oqiniselayo ekulingweni, ngoba lapho esephumelele ekuhlolweni, uzaphiwa umqhele wokuphila, ukuphila uNkulunkulu akuthembisa labo abamthandayo.
Blessed is the person who remains firm under temptation, for, when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 Ekulingweni, kakho okumele athi, “UNkulunkulu uyangilinga.” Ngoba uNkulunkulu angeke alingwe yibubi, futhi kalingi muntu;
Let no one say, when they are tempted, ‘It is God who is tempting me!’ For God, who cannot be tempted to do wrong, does not himself tempt anyone.
14 kodwa lowo lalowo ulingwa yinkanuko yakhe embi, lapho edonselwa kude ehugwa.
A man is in every case tempted by their own passions – allured and enticed by them.
15 Ngakho-ke, nxa inkanuko isidaliwe izala isono; njalo isono lapho sesikhulile okugcweleyo, sizala ukufa.
Then passion conceives and gives birth to sin, and sin, on reaching maturity, brings forth death.
16 Lingakhohliswa bazalwane bami abathandekayo.
Do not be deceived, my dear friends.
17 Zonke izipho ezinhle lezipheleleyo zivela phezulu, zehlele phansi zivela kuYise wezibane zasezulwini, ongaguqukiyo njalo ongelathunzi lokuphenduka.
Every good thing given us, and every perfect gift, is from above, and comes down to us from the Father of the lights in the heavens, who is himself never subject to change or to eclipse.
18 Wakhetha ukusizala ngelizwi leqiniso ukuze sibe luhlobo lwezithelo zakuqala kukho konke akudalayo.
Because he so willed, he gave us life, through the message of the truth, so that we should be, as it were, a kind of first fruits of his creation.
19 Bazalwane bami abathandekayo, qaphelani lokhu: Umuntu wonke kumele aphange alalele, aphuze ukukhuluma, njalo aphuze lokuthukuthela
Mark this, my dear friends – Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry;
20 ngoba ukuthukuthela komuntu kakulethi ukuphila okulungileyo okufiswa nguNkulunkulu.
for human anger does not forward the righteous purpose of God.
21 Ngakho-ke, lahlani amanyala wonke lobubi obande kangaka, lilamukele ngokuthobeka ilizwi elahlanyelwa kini, elingalisindisa.
Therefore, get rid of 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 Lingalaleli ilizwi nje kuphela, beselizikhohlisa ngalokho. Yenzani lokho elikutshoyo.
Put that message into practice, and do not merely listen to it – deceiving yourselves.
23 Loba ngubani olalela ilizwi kodwa angaze enza elikutshoyo unjengomuntu okhangela ubuso bakhe esibukweni
For, when anyone listens to it and does not practice it, they are like a person looking at their own face in a mirror.
24 kuthi esezibukile asuke ahle akhohlwe ukuthi unjani.
They look at themselves, then go on their way,
25 Kodwa umuntu owukhangela ngenjongo umthetho opheleleyo oletha ukukhululeka, njalo aqhubeke esenza lokhu engakhohlwa asekuzwile, kodwa ekwenza, uzabusiswa kulokho akwenzayo.
but the person 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 person will be blessed in what they do.
26 Nxa umuntu ecabanga ukuthi uyakholwa kodwa engabambi ulimi lwakhe okuqinileyo, uyazikhohlisa njalo lokholo lwakhe luyize.
When a person appears to be religious, yet does not bridle their tongue, but imposes on their own conscience, that person’s religious observances are valueless.
27 Ukukholwa okwamukelwa nguNkulunkulu uBaba okuhlambulukileyo njalo kungelasici yilokhu: ukugcina izintandane labafelokazi ekuhluphekeni kwabo, kanye lokuzigcina thina ngokwethu ekungcolisweni ngumhlaba.
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.
