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 our Lord Jesus the Messiah; to the twelve tribes dispersed among the Gentiles; greeting peace.
2 Ndugu zangu, muwe na furaha mnapopatwa na majaribu mbalimbali,
Let it be all joy to you, my brethren, when ye enter into many and various trials.
3 kwani mwajua kwamba imani yenu ikisha stahimili, itawapatieni uvumilivu.
For ye know, that the trial of your faith, maketh you possess patience.
4 Muwe na hakika kwamba uvumilivu wenu utawategemeza mpaka mwisho, mpate kuwa wakamilifu na watimilifu, bila kupungukiwa chochote.
And let patience have its perfect work, so that ye may be complete and perfect, and may lack nothing.
5 Lakini kama mmoja wenu ametindikiwa hekima, basi, anapaswa kumwomba Mungu ambaye atampatia; kwani Mungu huwapa wote kwa wingi na kwa ukarimu.
And if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask it of God, who giveth to all freely, and reproacheth 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, not hesitating: he who hesitateth is like the waves of the sea, which the wind agitateth.
7 Mtu wa namna hiyo, mwenye nia mbili na asiye na msimamo katika mwenendo wake wote,
And let not that man expect to receive any thing of the Lord,
8 asidhani ya kwamba atapata chochote kile kutoka kwa Bwana.
who is hesitating in his mind, and unstable in all his ways.
9 Ndugu aliye maskini anapaswa kufurahi wakati Mungu anapomkweza,
And let the depressed brother rejoice, in his elevation;
10 naye tajiri anapaswa kufurahi anaposhushwa na Mungu. Maana tajiri atatoweka kama ua la porini.
and the rich, in his depression; because, like the flower of an herb, so he passeth 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 riseth in its heat, and drieth up the herb; and its flower falleth, and the beauty of its appearance perisheth: so also the rich man withereth 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 who endureth temptations; so that when he is proved he may receive a crown of life, which God hath 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 of God: for God is not tempted with evils, nor doth he tempt any man.
14 Lakini mtu hujaribiwa anapovutwa na kunaswa na tamaa zake mbaya.
But every man is tempted by his own lust; and he lusteth, and is drawn away.
15 Tamaa ikiiva huzaa dhambi; nayo dhambi ikikomaa huzaa kifo.
And this his lust conceiveth, and bringeth forth sin; and sin, when mature, 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 and perfect gift cometh down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no mutation, not even the shadow of change.
18 Kwa kupenda kwake mwenyewe alituzaa kwa neno lake la ukweli, ili tuwe namna ya matunda ya kwanza miongoni mwa viumbe vyake.
He saw fit, and begat us by the word of truth; that we might be the 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.
And be ye, my beloved brethren, every one of you, swift to hear, and slow to speak; and 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, remove far from you all impurity, and the abundance of wickedness; and, with meekness, receive the word that is implanted in our nature, which is able to vivify these your souls.
22 Msijidanganye wenyewe kwa kusikiliza tu neno lake, bali litekelezeni kwa vitendo.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only; and do not deceive yourselves.
23 Yeyote anayesikiliza hilo neno lakini halitekelezi, huyo ni kama mtu anayejiangalia sura yake mwenyewe katika kioo.
For if any man shall be a hearer of the word, and not a doer of it, he will be like one who seeth his face in a mirror:
24 Hujiangalia mwenyewe, kisha huenda zake, na mara husahau jinsi alivyo.
for he seeth himself, and passeth on, and forgetteth what a 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 every one that looketh upon the perfect law of liberty and abideth in it, is not a hearer of something to be forgotten, but a doer of the things; and he will be blessed in his work.
26 Kama mtu akijiona kuwa ni mtu mwenye dini, lakini hawezi kuutawala ulimi wake, dini yake haifai kitu, na anajidanganya mwenyewe.
And if any one thinketh that he worshippeth God, and doth not restrain his tongue, but his heart deceiveth him; his worship 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.
For the worship that is pure and holy before God the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and that one keep himself unspotted from the world.
