Yaaqoob 2
1 Yaa obboloota ko, isin waan Gooftaa keenya kan ulfinaa Yesuus Kiristoositti amantaniif nama wal hin caalchisinaa.
My friends, are you really trying to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with discrimination?
2 Namni qubeelaa warqee kaaʼatee uffata bareedaas uffatu tokko gara wal gaʼii keessanii dhufa haa jennu; akkasumas hiyyeessi darsa uffatu ni dhufa haa jennu.
Suppose a visitor should enter your synagogue, with gold rings and in grand clothes, and suppose a poor man should come in also, in shabby clothes,
3 Isinis yoo namicha uffata bareedaa uffatu sanaaf ulfina addaa kennitanii, “Maaloo kottuu iddoo gaarii taaʼi!” jettan, yoo namicha hiyyeessa sanaan immoo, “Ati achi dhaabadhu” yookaan “Kottuutii miilla koo bira taaʼi!” jettan,
and you show more respect to the visitor who is wearing grand clothes, and say – “There is a good seat for you here,” but to the poor man – “You must stand; or sit down there by my footstool,”
4 isin gidduu keessanitti garaa garummaa uumtanii warra yaada hamaan murteessitan hin taanee?
Haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves, and used evil standards of judgement?
5 Yaa obboloota koo jaallatamoo, mee dhagaʼaa! Waaqni akka isaan amantiitti sooreyyii taʼanii fi akka isaan mootummaa inni warra isa jaallataniif waadaa gale sana dhaalaniif hiyyeeyyii addunyaa kanaa filateera mitii?
Listen, my dear friends. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the things of this world to be rich through their faith, and to possess the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him?
6 Isin garuu hiyyeeyyii salphiftaniirtu. Warri isin qisaasuutti jiran warruma sooreyyii sana mitii? Kanneen gara mana murtiitti isin harkisaa jiranis isaanuma mitii?
But you – you insult the poor man! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you? Isn’t it they who drag you into law courts?
7 Maqaa kabajamaa isin ittiin waamamtan sanas kan arrabsan isaanuma mitii?
Isn’t it they who malign that honorable name spoken over you at your baptism?
8 Seera mootii kan Katabbii Qulqulluu keessatti, “Ollaa kee garuu akka ofii keetti jaalladhu” jedhu sana yoo dhugumaan eegdan isin waan qajeelaa gochaa jirtu.
If you keep the royal law which runs – ‘You must love your neighbor as you love yourself,’ you are doing right;
9 Yoo nama wal caalchiftan garuu isin cubbuu hojjettan; seera durattis akka seera cabsitootaatti isinitti murama.
but, if you discriminate, you commit a sin, and stand convicted by that same law of being offenders against it.
10 Sababiin isaas namni seera guutummaatti eegee waan tokko qofa cabse kam iyyuu akka waan seera hunda cabseetti ilaalamaatii.
For a person who has laid the Law, as a whole, to heart, but has failed in one particular, is accountable for breaking all its provisions.
11 Inni, “Hin ejjin” jedhe sun akkasuma immoo, “Hin ajjeesin” jedheeraatii. Ati yoo ejjuu baatte illee nama ajjeefnaan seera cabsiteerta.
He who said ‘You must not commit adultery’ also said ‘You must not murder.’ If, then, you commit murder but not adultery, you are still an offender against the Law.
12 Isin akka warra seera nama bilisoomsuun itti muramuutti dubbadhaa; hojjedhaas;
Therefore, speak and act as people who are to be judged by the ‘Law of freedom.’
13 nama namaaf hin araaramnetti murtii araara hin qabnetu murama. Araarri murtii moʼa.
For there will be justice without mercy for the person who has not acted mercifully. Mercy triumphs over Justice.
14 Yaa obboloota ko, namni tokko yoo, “Ani amantii qaba” jedhee garuu hojiin argisiisuu baate, kun faayidaa maalii qaba? Amantiin akkanaa isa fayyisuu dandaʼaa ree?
My friends, what good is it if someone claims that they have faith, but they do not prove it by actions? Can such faith save them?
15 Fakkeenyaaf obboleessi tokko yookaan obboleettiin tokko uffataa fi waan guyyaa guyyaan nyaatan hin qaban haa jennu.
Suppose some brother or sister should be in need of clothes and of daily bread,
16 Isin keessaa yoo namni tokko, “Nagaan deemaa; isinitti haa hoʼu; quufaas” isaaniin jedhee garuu waan foon isaaniitiif barbaachisu tokko illee hin kenniniif, kun faayidaa maalii qaba ree?
and one of you says to them – “Go, and peace be with you; keep warm and eat well!” and yet you do not actually give them the necessities of life, what good would it be to them?
17 Akkasumas amantiin hojiin hin mulʼifamne ofiinuu duʼaa dha.
In just the same way faith, if not followed by actions, is, by itself, a lifeless thing.
18 Namni tokko garuu, “Ati amantii qabda; ani immoo hojii qaba” jedha. Ati amantii kee hojii malee na argisiisi; anis hojii kootiin amantii koo sin argisiisa.
Someone, indeed, may say – “You are a man of faith, and I am a man of action.” “Then show me your faith,” I reply, “apart from any actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions.”
19 Akka Waaqni tokkichi jiru ati ni amanta. Kun gaarii dha! Hafuuronni hamoon iyyuu waan kana ni amanu; sodaadhaanis ni hollatu.
It is a part of your faith, is it not, that there is one God? Good; yet even the demons have that faith, and tremble at the thought.
20 Yaa namicha gowwaa nana, ati akka amantiin hojii of keessaa hin qabne duʼaa taʼe beekuu barbaaddaa?
Now do you really want to understand, fool, how it is that faith without actions leads to nothing?
21 Abbaan keenya Abrahaam yommuu ilma isaa Yisihaaqin iddoo aarsaa irratti dhiʼeessetti waan hojjete sanaaf qajeelaa taʼee hin lakkaaʼamnee ree?
Look at our ancestor, Abraham. Was he not justified by his actions after he had offered his son, Isaac, on the altar?
22 Akka amantiin isaatii fi hojiin isaa tokkummaan hojjechaa turan ni argita; waan inni hojjeteenis amantiin isaa guutuu taʼe.
You see how, in his case, faith and actions went together; that his faith was perfected as the result of his actions;
23 Kanaanis wanni katabbii qulqulluu keessatti, “Abrahaam Waaqa amane; kunis qajeelummaatti lakkaaʼameef” jedhu ni raawwatame; innis michuu Waaqaa jedhame.
and that in this way the words of scripture came true – “Abraham believed God, and that was regarded by God as righteousness,” and “He was called the friend of God.”
24 Egaa akka namni hojiidhaanis malee amantii qofaan qajeelaatti hin lakkaaʼamne ni argitu.
You see, then, that a person is justified by actions, and not by faith alone.
25 Akkasuma immoo sagaagaltuun Rahaab jedhamtu yommuu basaastota simattee karaa kaaniin isaan geggeessitetti waan hojjetteen qajeeltuutti hin lakkaaʼamnee ree?
Wasn’t it the same with the prostitute, Rahab? Was she not justified by her actions, after she had welcomed the messengers and helped them escape by another road?
26 Akkuma dhagni hafuura hin qabne duʼaa taʼe sana, amantiin hojii hin qabnes duʼaa dha.
Just as a body is dead without a spirit, so faith is dead without actions.
