UJakhobe 4
1 Zivela ngaphi izimpi lokulwa phakathi kwenu? Kakuveli lapha yini, enkanukweni zenu ezilwayo ezithweni zenu?
What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you?
2 Liyafisa, kodwa kalilalutho; liyabulala njalo lilomhawu, kodwa lingeke lazuza; liyalwa futhi lenza impi, kodwa kalilalutho, ngoba kaliceli;
You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.
3 liyacela njalo kalemukeli, ngoba licela kubi, ukuze likuchithele enkanukweni zenu.
And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
4 Zifebe lezifebekazi, kalazi yini ukuthi uthando lomhlaba luyibutha kuNkulunkulu? Ngakho loba ngubani othanda ukuba ngumngane womhlaba, wenziwa isitha sikaNkulunkulu.
You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.
5 Kumbe licabanga yini ukuthi umbhalo utsho ize: Umoya ohlala kithi ufisela kumona?
Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy?
6 Kodwa uyanika umusa omkhulu; ngakho uthi: UNkulunkulu umelana labazigqajayo, kodwa abathobekileyo uyabapha umusa.
But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
7 Ngakho zehliseleni kuNkulunkulu, melanani lodiyabhola, njalo uzalibalekela.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Sondelani kuNkulunkulu, laye uzasondela kini; gezani izandla, zoni, njalo lihlanze izinhliziyo, lina banhliziyombili.
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Danani lilile likhale; ukuhleka kwenu kakuphendulwe ukulila, lentokozo ukudana.
Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom.
10 Zithobeni phambi kweNkosi, njalo izaliphakamisa.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.
11 Lingahlebani, bazalwane. Lowo ohleba umzalwane, amehlulele umzalwane wakhe, uhleba umlayo, ehlulele umlayo; kodwa uba usehlulela umlayo, kawusumenzi womlayo, kodwa umahluleli.
Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. And if you judge the law, you are not a practitioner of the law, but a judge of it.
12 Munye ummisumlayo, olamandla okusindisa lokubhubhisa; wena ungubani owahlulela omunye?
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
13 Minani-ke lina elithi: Lamuhla loba kusasa sizakuya emzini othile, sihlale khona umnyaka owodwa sithengiselane sizuze;
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.”
14 elingakwaziyo okwakusasa. Ngoba iyini impilo yenu? Ngoba iyinkungu ebonakala okwesikhatshana, emva kwalokho ibisinyamalala;
You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
15 endaweni yalokho ngabe lithi: Uba iNkosi ivuma, njalo sizaphila, sibe sesisenza lokhu kumbe lokhuyana.
Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.”
16 Kodwa khathesi liyazincoma ekuzigqajeni kwenu; konke ukuzincoma okunje kubi.
As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil.
17 Ngakho lowo okwaziyo ukwenza okuhle kodwa engakwenzi, kuyisono kuye.
Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.
