UJakhobe 4
1 Zivela ngaphi izimpi lokulwa phakathi kwenu? Kakuveli lapha yini, enkanukweni zenu ezilwayo ezithweni zenu?
What causes wars and contentions among you? Is it not the cravings which are ever at war within you for various pleasures?
2 Liyafisa, kodwa kalilalutho; liyabulala njalo lilomhawu, kodwa lingeke lazuza; liyalwa futhi lenza impi, kodwa kalilalutho, ngoba kaliceli;
You covet things and yet cannot get them; you commit murder; you have passionate desires and yet cannot gain your end; you begin to fight and make war. You have not, because you do not pray;
3 liyacela njalo kalemukeli, ngoba licela kubi, ukuze likuchithele enkanukweni zenu.
or you pray and yet do not receive, because you pray wrongly, your object being to waste what you get on some pleasure or another.
4 Zifebe lezifebekazi, kalazi yini ukuthi uthando lomhlaba luyibutha kuNkulunkulu? Ngakho loba ngubani othanda ukuba ngumngane womhlaba, wenziwa isitha sikaNkulunkulu.
You unfaithful women, do you not know that friendship with the world means enmity to God? Therefore whoever is bent on being friendly with the world makes himself an enemy to God.
5 Kumbe licabanga yini ukuthi umbhalo utsho ize: Umoya ohlala kithi ufisela kumona?
Or do you suppose that it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "The Spirit which He has caused to dwell in our hearts yearns jealously over us"?
6 Kodwa uyanika umusa omkhulu; ngakho uthi: UNkulunkulu umelana labazigqajayo, kodwa abathobekileyo uyabapha umusa.
But He gives more abundant grace, as is implied in His saying, "God sets Himself against the haughty, but to the lowly He gives grace."
7 Ngakho zehliseleni kuNkulunkulu, melanani lodiyabhola, njalo uzalibalekela.
Submit therefore 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 make your hearts pure, you who are half-hearted towards God.
9 Danani lilile likhale; ukuhleka kwenu kakuphendulwe ukulila, lentokozo ukudana.
Afflict yourselves and mourn and weep aloud; let your laughter be turned into grief, and your gladness into shame.
10 Zithobeni phambi kweNkosi, njalo izaliphakamisa.
Humble yourselves in the presence of 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.
Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. The man who speaks evil of a brother-man or judges his brother-man speaks evil of the Law and judges the Law. But if you judge the Law, you are no longer one who obeys the Law, but one who judges it.
12 Munye ummisumlayo, olamandla okusindisa lokubhubhisa; wena ungubani owahlulela omunye?
The only real Lawgiver and Judge is He who is able to save or to destroy. Who are you to sit in judgement on your fellow man?
13 Minani-ke lina elithi: Lamuhla loba kusasa sizakuya emzini othile, sihlale khona umnyaka owodwa sithengiselane sizuze;
Come, you who say, "To-day or to-morrow we will go to this or that city, and spend a year there and carry on a successful business,"
14 elingakwaziyo okwakusasa. Ngoba iyini impilo yenu? Ngoba iyinkungu ebonakala okwesikhatshana, emva kwalokho ibisinyamalala;
when, all the while, you do not even know what will happen to-morrow. For what is the nature of your life? Why, it is but a mist, which appears for a short time and then is seen no more.
15 endaweni yalokho ngabe lithi: Uba iNkosi ivuma, njalo sizaphila, sibe sesisenza lokhu kumbe lokhuyana.
Instead of that you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we shall live and do this or that."
16 Kodwa khathesi liyazincoma ekuzigqajeni kwenu; konke ukuzincoma okunje kubi.
But, as the case stands, it is in mere self-confidence that you boast: all such boasting is evil.
17 Ngakho lowo okwaziyo ukwenza okuhle kodwa engakwenzi, kuyisono kuye.
If, however, a man knows what it is right to do and yet does not do it, he commits a sin.
