< 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 in the Dispersion: Greetings.
2 Ndugu zangu, muwe na furaha mnapopatwa na majaribu mbalimbali,
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations,
3 kwani mwajua kwamba imani yenu ikisha stahimili, itawapatieni uvumilivu.
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 Muwe na hakika kwamba uvumilivu wenu utawategemeza mpaka mwisho, mpate kuwa wakamilifu na watimilifu, bila kupungukiwa chochote.
Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking 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 of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to 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, without any doubting, for he who doubts 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 that man shouldn’t think that he will receive anything from the Lord.
8 asidhani ya kwamba atapata chochote kile kutoka kwa Bwana.
He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Ndugu aliye maskini anapaswa kufurahi wakati Mungu anapomkweza,
Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position;
10 naye tajiri anapaswa kufurahi anaposhushwa na Mungu. Maana tajiri atatoweka kama ua la porini.
and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in 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 arises with the scorching wind and withers the grass; and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So the rich man will also fade away in his pursuits.
12 Heri mtu anayebaki mwaminifu katika majaribu, kwani akisha stahimili atapewa tuzo la uzima ambalo Mungu aliwaahidia wale wanaompenda.
Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love him.
13 Kama mtu akijaribiwa, asiseme: “Ninajaribiwa na Mungu.” Maana Mungu hawezi kujaribiwa na uovu, wala yeye hamjaribu mtu yeyote.
Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.
14 Lakini mtu hujaribiwa anapovutwa na kunaswa na tamaa zake mbaya.
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed.
15 Tamaa ikiiva huzaa dhambi; nayo dhambi ikikomaa huzaa kifo.
Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin. The sin, when it is full grown, produces death.
16 Ndugu zangu wapenzi, msidanganyike!
Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers.
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 lights, with whom can be no variation nor turning shadow.
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 gave birth to us by 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.
So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;
20 Mwenye hasira hawezi kutimiza matakwa ya Mungu yaliyo ya haki.
for the anger of man doesn’t produce 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.
Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility 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 only hearers, deluding your own selves.
23 Yeyote anayesikiliza hilo neno lakini halitekelezi, huyo ni kama mtu anayejiangalia sura yake mwenyewe katika kioo.
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror;
24 Hujiangalia mwenyewe, kisha huenda zake, na mara husahau jinsi alivyo.
for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind 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 freedom and continues, not being a hearer who forgets but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.
26 Kama mtu akijiona kuwa ni mtu mwenye dini, lakini hawezi kuutawala ulimi wake, dini yake haifai kitu, na anajidanganya mwenyewe.
If anyone amongst you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless.
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 our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

< Yakobo 1 >