UJakhobe 1
1 UJakobe, inceku kaNkulunkulu leyeNkosi uJesu Kristu, kuzo izizwe ezilitshumi lambili ezisekuhlakazekeni, ngiyabingelela.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: Greetings.
2 Kubaleni ukuthi kuyintokozo yonke, bazalwane bami, nxa liwela ezilingweni ezizinhlobonhlobo,
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
3 lisazi ukuthi ukuhlolwa kokholo lwenu kuveza ukubekezela;
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
4 kodwa ukubekezela kakube lomsebenzi opheleleyo, ukuze libe ngabapheleleyo liphelelisiwe, lingasileli ngalutho.
Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5 Njalo uba kukhona kini oswele inhlakanipho, kacele kuNkulunkulu ophanayo ngesihle kubo bonke, futhi engasoli, njalo uzayinikwa.
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
6 Kodwa kacele ekholweni engathandabuzi ngalutho; ngoba othandabuzayo unjengegagasi lolwandle eliqhutshwa ngumoya lizuliswe.
But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7 Ngoba lowomuntu kangacabangi ukuthi uzazuza ulutho eNkosini.
That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 Indoda enhliziyombili iyaphenduphenduka endleleni zayo zonke.
He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Lomzalwane ophansi kazincome ekuphakameni kwakhe;
The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.
10 kodwa onothileyo ekuthotshisweni kwakhe; ngoba njengeluba lotshani uzadlula.
But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.
11 Ngoba ilanga liphuma lilokutshisa, libunise utshani, leluba labo liwohloke, lobuhle bokubonakala kwalo bunyamalale; ngokunjalo lesinothi sizanyamalala ezindleleni zaso.
For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
12 Ubusisiwe umuntu obekezelela isilingo; ngoba esehloliwe uzakwemukela umqhele wempilo, iNkosi eyawuthembisa kwabayithandayo.
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
13 Kakulamuntu olingwayo omele athi: Ngilingwa nguNkulunkulu; ngoba uNkulunkulu kalasilingo sokubi, laye uqobo kalingi muntu.
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.
14 Kodwa ngulowo lalowo uyalingwa, lapho eyengwa ngezakhe inkanuko, ehugwa;
But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.
15 kuthi lapho inkanuko isikhulelwe ibelethe isono; lesono lapho sesiphelele sizala ukufa.
Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16 Lingakhohliswa, bazalwane bami abathandekayo.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
17 Sonke isipho esihle laso sonke isipho esipheleleyo sivela phezulu, sehla sivela kuYise wezibane, okungekho kuye ukuguquka, kumbe isithunzi sokuphenduka.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
18 Ngokuthanda kwakhe wasizala ngelizwi leqiniso, ukuze sibe njengezithelo zokuqala zezidalwa zakhe.
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.
19 Ngakho, bazalwane bami abathandekayo, wonke umuntu umele aphangise ukuzwa, aphuze ukukhuluma, aphuze ukuthukuthela;
My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
20 ngoba ukuthukuthela kwendoda kakwenzi ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu.
for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.
21 Ngakho selihlubule amanyala wonke lokwanda kakhulu kobubi, lemukele ngobumnene ilizwi eligxunyekiweyo, elilamandla okusindisa imiphefumulo yenu.
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.
22 Kodwa banini ngabenzi belizwi, lingabi ngabezwayo kuphela, lizikhohlisa lina ngokwenu.
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
23 Ngoba uba umuntu engumuzwi welizwi futhi engesimenzi, yena ufanana lendoda ebuka ubuso bayo bemvelo esibukweni;
For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror,
24 ngoba iyazibuka, ibisisuka, ibisihle ikhohlwa ukuthi ibinjani.
and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 Kodwa lowo okhangelisisa emlayweni opheleleyo, lowo owenkululeko, abesebambelela kuwo, yena engesimuzwi okhohlwayo kodwa engumenzi womsebenzi, lo uzakuba ngobusisiweyo ekwenzeni kwakhe.
But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.
26 Uba umuntu phakathi kwenu esithi uyakholwa, uba engalufaki itomu ulimi lwakhe, kodwa akhohlise inhliziyo yakhe, ukukholwa kwalowo kuyize.
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
27 Ukukholwa okuhlanzekileyo lokungangcoliswanga phambi kukaNkulunkulu ngitsho uBaba yilokhu, ukuhambela izintandane labafelokazi ekuhluphekeni kwabo, lokuzilondoloza engelasici kokomhlaba.
Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
