Yakobo 4
1 Ɔko ne akasakasa a asi mo mu yi fi he? Efi mo ara mo akɔnnɔ a ɛne mo nipadua di asi no.
What is the cause of the fighting and quarreling that goes on among you? Isn’t it to be found in the desires which are always at war within you?
2 Morepɛ nneɛma bi nanso morentumi nnya, ɛno nti moayɛ mo adwene sɛ mubedi awu. Mo ani abere denneennen rehwehwɛ nneɛma bi, nanso mo nsa nka, enti akasakasa ne ɔko nam so ba. Mo nsa renka nea morehwehwɛ no efisɛ mummisa Onyankopɔn.
You crave, yet do not have, so you commit murder, so You covet, yet cannot gain your end. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.
3 Na sɛ mubisa koraa nso a, mo nsa renka, efisɛ mowɔ adwemmɔne, sɛ ɛbɛyɛ a mode nea munya no begye mo ani.
You ask, yet do not receive, because you ask for a wrong purpose – to spend what you get on your pleasures.
4 Nnipa a munni gyidi! Munnim sɛ, sɛ mofa wiase adamfo a, na moyɛ Onyankopɔn atamfo? Obiara a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔyɛ wiase adamfo no bɛyɛ Onyankopɔn tamfo.
Unfaithful people! Don’t you know that to be friends with the world means to be at enmity with God? Therefore whoever chooses to be friends with the world makes himself an enemy to God.
5 Mususuw sɛ Kyerɛwsɛm a ɛka se, “Ninkutwe ahyɛ honhom a Onyankopɔn de ahyɛ yɛn mu no ma” no wɔkaa no kwa ana?
Do you suppose scripture means nothing when it says, ‘Envy results from the longings of the spirit which God has implanted within you?’
6 Nanso adom a Onyankopɔn dom yɛn no dɔɔso yiye. Na Kyerɛwsɛm no ka se, “Onyankopɔn siw ahantanfo kwan, na ɔdom ahobrɛasefo.”
But he gives us greater grace; and that is why it says, – ‘God opposes the haughty, but gives grace to the humble.’
7 Enti momfa mo ho nhyɛ Onyankopɔn ase. Munsiw ɔbonsam kwan, na obeguan afi mo ho.
Therefore submit to God. Stand up to the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Mommɛn Onyankopɔn, na ɔno nso bɛbɛn mo. Monhohoro mo nsa ho, mo nnebɔneyɛfo! Montew mo koma mu, mo a mo adwene yɛ ntanta!
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Make your hands clean, you sinners; and your hearts pure, you vacillators!
9 Munni awerɛhow, munsu, na muntwa agyaadwo; momma mo serew nnan osu, na mo anigye nnan awerɛhow.
Grieve, mourn, and lament! Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your happiness to gloom!
10 Mommrɛ mo ho ase mma Awurade, na ɔbɛma mo so.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
11 Me nuanom, munnnidi mo ho nseku. Obiara a ɔkasa tia ne nua anaa obu no atɛn no, kasa tia mmara no. Na sɛ wubu mmara no atɛn a, na ɛkyerɛ sɛ afei de, wunni mmara no so.
Do not disparage one another, friends. The person who disparages others, or passes judgment on them, disparages the Law and passes judgment on the Law. But, if you pass judgment on the Law, you are not obeying it, but judging it.
12 Onyankopɔn nko na ɔma mmara na obu atɛn. Ɔno nko na ogye nkwa na ɔsɛe. Wone hena a wubu wo yɔnko atɛn?
There is only one lawgiver and judge – he who has the power both to save and to destroy. So then who are you to pass judgment on your neighbor?
13 Mo a moka se, “Nnɛ anaa ɔkyena yebetu kwan akɔ kurow bi so akodi afe akɔyɛ adwuma, apɛ sika” no, muntie me.
Listen to me, you who say ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money,’
14 Munnim nea ɛbɛto mo ɔkyena. Mote sɛ omununkum a ɛba bere tiaa bi na ɛyera.
yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow! For you are but a puff of smoke that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
15 Asɛm a ɛsɛ sɛ moka ne se, “Sɛ Awurade pɛ a, yɛbɛyɛ eyi anaa eyi.”
Instead you should say ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’
16 Nanso mprempren mohoahoa mo ho de mo nsa si mo bo. Saa ahohoahoa no nyinaa yɛ bɔne.
But as it is, you are boasting presumptuously! All such boasting is wicked.
17 Enti nea onim papa yɛ na ɔnyɛ no, ɛyɛ bɔne ma no.
The person, then, who knows what is right but fails to do it – that is sin in them.
