Yakobo 1
1 Mimi Yakobo, mtumishi wa Mungu na wa Bwana Yesu Kristo, nawaandikia ninyi, makabila kumi na mawili, yaliyotawanyika ulimwenguni! Salaam!
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 Ndugu zangu, muwe na furaha mnapopatwa na majaribu mbalimbali,
Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into various temptations;
3 kwani mwajua kwamba imani yenu ikisha stahimili, itawapatieni uvumilivu.
knowing that the trying of your faith worketh endurance.
4 Muwe na hakika kwamba uvumilivu wenu utawategemeza mpaka mwisho, mpate kuwa wakamilifu na watimilifu, bila kupungukiwa chochote.
But let endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting in nothing.
5 Lakini kama mmoja wenu ametindikiwa hekima, basi, anapaswa kumwomba Mungu ambaye atampatia; kwani Mungu huwapa wote kwa wingi na kwa ukarimu.
But if any one of you is wanting in wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; and it will be given him.
6 Lakini anapaswa kuomba kwa imani bila mashaka yoyote. Mtu aliye na mashaka ni kama mawimbi ya bahari ambayo husukumwa na kutupwatupwa na upepo.
But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting; for he that doubteth is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
7 Mtu wa namna hiyo, mwenye nia mbili na asiye na msimamo katika mwenendo wake wote,
For let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord,
8 asidhani ya kwamba atapata chochote kile kutoka kwa Bwana.
a double-minded man as he is, unstable in all his ways.
9 Ndugu aliye maskini anapaswa kufurahi wakati Mungu anapomkweza,
Let the brother of low degree glory in that he is exalted;
10 naye tajiri anapaswa kufurahi anaposhushwa na Mungu. Maana tajiri atatoweka kama ua la porini.
but the rich, in that he is made low; because as the flower of the grass he will pass away.
11 Jua huchomoza na kwa joto lake kali hukausha mimea, nayo maua yake huanguka, na uzuri wake wote huharibika. Vivyo hivyo, tajiri ataangamizwa katika shughuli zake.
For the sun rose with its burning heat, and withered the grass, and its flower fell off, and the beauty of its appearance perished; so also will the rich man fade away in his ways.
12 Heri mtu anayebaki mwaminifu katika majaribu, kwani akisha stahimili atapewa tuzo la uzima ambalo Mungu aliwaahidia wale wanaompenda.
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is approved, he will receive the crown of life, which He promised to them that love him.
13 Kama mtu akijaribiwa, asiseme: “Ninajaribiwa na Mungu.” Maana Mungu hawezi kujaribiwa na uovu, wala yeye hamjaribu mtu yeyote.
Let no one when he is tempted, say, I am tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he tempteth no one.
14 Lakini mtu hujaribiwa anapovutwa na kunaswa na tamaa zake mbaya.
But each one is tempted when by his own lust he is led away and enticed;
15 Tamaa ikiiva huzaa dhambi; nayo dhambi ikikomaa huzaa kifo.
then lust, having conceived, bringeth forth sin, and sin, when completed, bringeth forth death.
16 Ndugu zangu wapenzi, msidanganyike!
Do not err, my beloved brethren.
17 Kila kipaji chema na kila zawadi kamilifu hutoka mbinguni; hutoka kwa Baba, Muumba wa mianga, ambaye habadiliki wala hana alama yoyote ya ugeugeu.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no change, nor shadow from turning.
18 Kwa kupenda kwake mwenyewe alituzaa kwa neno lake la ukweli, ili tuwe namna ya matunda ya kwanza miongoni mwa viumbe vyake.
Of his own will he begot us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.
19 Ndugu zangu wapenzi, kumbukeni jambo hili! Kila mtu na awe mwepesi wa kusikia lakini asiwe mwepesi wa kusema wala mwepesi wa kukasirika.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
20 Mwenye hasira hawezi kutimiza matakwa ya Mungu yaliyo ya haki.
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Kwa hiyo, tupilieni mbali mwenendo mchafu na tabia zote mbovu; jiwekeni chini ya Mungu na kupokea ule ujumbe uliopandwa mioyoni mwenu, ambao waweza kuziokoa nafsi zenu.
Wherefore put off all filthiness, and excess of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 Msijidanganye wenyewe kwa kusikiliza tu neno lake, bali litekelezeni kwa vitendo.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 Yeyote anayesikiliza hilo neno lakini halitekelezi, huyo ni kama mtu anayejiangalia sura yake mwenyewe katika kioo.
For if any one is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass;
24 Hujiangalia mwenyewe, kisha huenda zake, na mara husahau jinsi alivyo.
for he beholds himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what manner of man he was.
25 Lakini mtu anayeangalia kwa makini sheria kamilifu ambayo huwapa watu uhuru, mtu anayeendelea kuizingatia, na si kuisikia tu na kuisahau baadaye, bali anaitekeleza, mtu huyo atabarikiwa katika kila kitu anachofanya.
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty, and remains there, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in his deed.
26 Kama mtu akijiona kuwa ni mtu mwenye dini, lakini hawezi kuutawala ulimi wake, dini yake haifai kitu, na anajidanganya mwenyewe.
If any one thinks that he is religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
27 Dini iliyo safi na isiyo na hitilafu mbele ya Mungu Baba ni hii: Kuwasaidia yatima na wajane katika shida zao, na kujilinda mwenyewe usichafuliwe na ulimwengu huu.
Pure religion and undefiled before God, the Father, is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep one's self unspotted from the world.
