UJakhobe 4
1 Zivela ngaphi izimpi lokulwa phakathi kwenu? Kakuveli lapha yini, enkanukweni zenu ezilwayo ezithweni zenu?
Where do wars and fightings amongst you come from? Don’t they come from your pleasures that war in your members?
2 Liyafisa, kodwa kalilalutho; liyabulala njalo lilomhawu, kodwa lingeke lazuza; liyalwa futhi lenza impi, kodwa kalilalutho, ngoba kaliceli;
You lust, and don’t have. You murder and covet, and can’t obtain. You fight and make war. You don’t have, because you don’t ask.
3 liyacela njalo kalemukeli, ngoba licela kubi, ukuze likuchithele enkanukweni zenu.
You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend 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 adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility towards God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
5 Kumbe licabanga yini ukuthi umbhalo utsho ize: Umoya ohlala kithi ufisela kumona?
Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously”?
6 Kodwa uyanika umusa omkhulu; ngakho uthi: UNkulunkulu umelana labazigqajayo, kodwa abathobekileyo uyabapha umusa.
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
7 Ngakho zehliseleni kuNkulunkulu, melanani lodiyabhola, njalo uzalibalekela.
Be subject 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. Purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Danani lilile likhale; ukuhleka kwenu kakuphendulwe ukulila, lentokozo ukudana.
Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Zithobeni phambi kweNkosi, njalo izaliphakamisa.
Humble yourselves in the sight 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.
Don’t speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
12 Munye ummisumlayo, olamandla okusindisa lokubhubhisa; wena ungubani owahlulela omunye?
Only one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge another?
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 let’s go into this city and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit.”
14 elingakwaziyo okwakusasa. Ngoba iyini impilo yenu? Ngoba iyinkungu ebonakala okwesikhatshana, emva kwalokho ibisinyamalala;
Yet you don’t know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
15 endaweni yalokho ngabe lithi: Uba iNkosi ivuma, njalo sizaphila, sibe sesisenza lokhu kumbe lokhuyana.
For you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that.”
16 Kodwa khathesi liyazincoma ekuzigqajeni kwenu; konke ukuzincoma okunje kubi.
But now you glory in your boasting. All such boasting is evil.
17 Ngakho lowo okwaziyo ukwenza okuhle kodwa engakwenzi, kuyisono kuye.
To him therefore who knows to do good and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin.
