Yakobo 4

1 Ɔko ne akasakasa a asi mo mu yi firi he? Ɛfiri mo ara mo akɔnnɔ a ɛne mo onipadua di asie no.

FROM whence come wars and conflicts among you? spring they not from hence, even from your passions, which war in your members?

2 Morepɛ nneɛma bi nanso morentumi nnya, ɛno enti moayɛ mo adwene sɛ mobɛdi awu. Mo ani abere dendeenden repɛ nneɛma bi, nanso mo nsa nka, enti akasakasa ne ɔko nam so ba. Deɛ morehwehwɛ no, mo nsa renka ɛfiri sɛ, mommisa Onyankopɔn.

Ye eagerly covet, yet have not: ye murder, and are envious, yet cannot obtain your object; ye wage war, but have not, because ye pray not.

3 Na sɛ mobisa koraa nso a, mo nsa renka, ɛfiri sɛ, mowɔ adwemmɔne. Mobisa nneɛma a ɛyɛ mo akɔnnɔdeɛ.

Ye ask, and receive nothing, because ye ask vilely, in order to consume it on your sensual appetites.

4 Nnipa a monni gyidie! Monnim sɛ, sɛ mofa ewiase adamfo a, na moyɛ Onyankopɔn atamfoɔ? Obiara a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔyɛ ewiase adamfo no dane Onyankopɔn ɔtamfoɔ.

Ye adulterers and adultresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity against God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is set down an enemy to God.

5 Mosusu sɛ Atwerɛsɛm a ɛka sɛ, “Ninkunutwe ahyɛ honhom a Onyankopɔn de ahyɛ yɛn mu no ma” no wɔkaa no kwa?

Think ye that the scripture saith without meaning, The spirit which dwelleth in you strongly urges to envy?

6 Nanso, adom a Onyankopɔn dom yɛn no dɔɔso yie. Na Atwerɛsɛm no ka sɛ, “Onyankopɔn si ahantanfoɔ kwan, na ɔdom ahobrɛasefoɔ.”

But he giveth mightier grace. Wherefore he saith, “God sets himself against the proud, but giveth grace to the lowly.”

7 Enti, momfa mo ho nhyɛ Onyankopɔn ase. Monsi ɔbonsam kwan, na ɔbɛdwane afiri mo ho.

Be in subjection then to God. Resist the devil, and he will fly from you.

8 Mommɛn Onyankopɔn, na ɔno nso bɛbɛn mo. Monhohoro mo nsa ho, mo nnebɔneyɛfoɔ! Monte mo akoma mu, mo a mo adwene yɛ ntanta!

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Make clean your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.

9 Monni awerɛhoɔ, monsu, na montwa agyaadwoɔ; momma mo sereɛ nnane su, na mo anigyeɛ nnane awerɛhoɔ.

Be bitterly afflicted and lament, and let your tears run down; let your laughter be converted into mourning, and your joy into dejection.

10 Mommrɛ mo ho ase mma Awurade, na ɔbɛma mo so.

Be humbled in the presence of God, so he will exalt you.

11 Me nuanom, monnnidi mo ho nsekuro. Obiara a ɔkasa tia ne nua anaa ɔbu no atɛn no, kasa tia Mmara no. Na sɛ wobu Mmara no atɛn a, na ɛkyerɛ sɛ, afei deɛ wonni Mmara no so.

Traduce not one another, brethren. He that traduceth his brother, and judgeth his brother, traduceth the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but as judge.

12 Onyankopɔn nko na ɔma mmara na ɔbu atɛn. Ɔno nko na ɔgye nkwa na ɔsɛe. Wone hwan a wobu wo yɔnko atɛn?

There is one lawgiver, who can save or destroy: who art thou that judgest another man?

13 Mo a moka sɛ, “Ɛnnɛ anaa ɔkyena yɛbɛtu kwan akɔ kuro bi so akɔdi afe akɔyɛ adwuma, apɛ sika” no, montie me.

Come now, ye that talk, To-day or to-morrow we will go to such a town, and do business there during one year, and traffic, and make great profits:

14 Monnim deɛ ɛbɛto mo ɔkyena: Mote sɛ huhuro a ɛba mmerɛ tiawa bi na ayera.

though ye know nothing of what shall be to-morrow. For what is your life? It is but a vapour which appeareth for a little while, and then vanishes away.

15 Asɛm a ɛsɛ sɛ moka ne sɛ, “Sɛ Awurade pɛ a, yɛbɛyɛ yei anaa yei.”

Instead of your saying, If the Lord pleases, and we are alive, then we will do this or that thing.

16 Nanso, seesei mohoahoa mo ho de mo nsa si mo bo; saa ahohoahoa no nyinaa yɛ bɔne.

But now ye glory in your proud boastings: all such glorying is wicked.

17 Enti, deɛ ɔnim papayɛ na ɔnyɛ no, ɛyɛ bɔne ma no.

Therefore if a man knoweth how to act properly, and doth not, he is criminal.