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.

Where do conflicts and quarrels among you come from? Do they not come from your passions that 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.

You lust, and do not have. You kill, covet, and cannot obtain. You fight and make war. You do not have, because you do not ask.

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

You ask, and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures.

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.

You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

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

Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit which he made to dwell in us yearns jealously"?

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

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

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

Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee 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 near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

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

Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom.

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

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and 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.

Do not speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.

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

Only one is the lawgiver and judge, who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

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, you who say, "Today or tomorrow let us go into this city, and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit."

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

Whereas you do not know what tomorrow will be like. What is your life? For you are a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

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

For you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that."

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

But now you glory in your boasting. All such boasting is evil.

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

To him therefore who knows to do good, and does not do it, to him it is sin.