James 4
1 Níbo ni ogun ti wá, níbo ni ìjà sì ti wá láàrín yín? Ìfẹ́kúfẹ̀ẹ́ ara yín ha kọ́ ni tí ó ń jagun nínú àwọn ẹ̀yà ara yín bí?
What is the cause of the fighting and quarrelling that goes on among you? Isn’t it to be found in the desires which are always at war within you?
2 Ẹ̀yin ń fẹ́ ìfẹ́kúfẹ̀ẹ́, ẹ kò sì ní, ẹ̀yin ń pànìyàn, ẹ sì ń ṣe ìlara, ẹ kò sì le ní: ẹ̀yin ń jà, ẹ̀yin sì ń jagun; ẹ kò ní, nítorí tí ẹ̀yin kò béèrè.
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 Ẹ̀yin béèrè, ẹ kò sì rí gbà, nítorí tí ẹ̀yin ṣì béèrè, kí ẹ̀yin kí ó lè lò ó fún ìfẹ́kúfẹ̀ẹ́ ara yín.
You ask, yet do not receive, because you ask for a wrong purpose – to spend what you get on your pleasures.
4 Ẹ̀yin panṣágà ọkùnrin, àti panṣágà obìnrin, ẹ kò mọ̀ pé ìbárẹ́ ayé ìṣọ̀tá Ọlọ́run ni? Nítorí náà ẹni tí ó bá fẹ́ láti jẹ́ ọ̀rẹ́ ayé di ọ̀tá Ọlọ́run.
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 Ẹ̀yin ṣe bí Ìwé Mímọ́ sọ lásán pé, Ẹ̀mí tí ó fi sínú wa ń jowú gidigidi lórí wa?
Do you suppose scripture means nothing when it says, “Envy results from the longings of the spirit which God has implanted within you?”
6 Ṣùgbọ́n ó fún ni ní oore-ọ̀fẹ́ sí i. Nítorí náà ni ìwé mímọ́ ṣe wí pé, “Ọlọ́run kọ ojú ìjà sí àwọn agbéraga, ṣùgbọ́n ó fi oore-ọ̀fẹ́ fún àwọn onírẹ̀lẹ̀ ọkàn.”
But he gives us greater grace; and that is why it says, – “God opposes the haughty, but gives grace to the humble.”
7 Nítorí náà, ẹ tẹríba fún Ọlọ́run. Ẹ kọ ojú ìjà sí èṣù, òun ó sì sá kúrò lọ́dọ̀ yín.
Therefore submit to God. Stand up to the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Ẹ súnmọ́ Ọlọ́run, òun ó sì súnmọ́ yín. Ẹ wẹ ọwọ́ yín mọ́, ẹ̀yin ẹlẹ́ṣẹ̀; ẹ sì ṣe ọkàn yín ní mímọ́, ẹ̀yin oníyèméjì.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Make your hands clean, you sinners; and your hearts pure, you vacillators!
9 Ẹ banújẹ́, ẹ ṣọ̀fọ̀, kí ẹ sì hu fún ẹkún. Ẹ jẹ́ kí ẹ̀rín yín kí ó di ọ̀fọ̀, àti ayọ̀ yín kí ó di ìbànújẹ́.
Grieve, mourn, and lament! Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your happiness to gloom!
10 Ẹ rẹ ara yín sílẹ̀ níwájú Olúwa, òun ó sì gbé yín ga.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
11 Ará, ẹ má ṣe sọ̀rọ̀ ibi sí ara yín. Ẹni tí ó bá ń sọ̀rọ̀ ibi sí arákùnrin rẹ̀, tí ó ń dá arákùnrin rẹ̀ lẹ́jọ́, ó ń sọ̀rọ̀ ibi sí òfin, ó sì ń dá òfin lẹ́jọ́; ṣùgbọ́n bí ìwọ bá ń dá òfin lẹ́jọ́, ìwọ kì í ṣe olùfẹ́ òfin, bí kò ṣe onídàájọ́.
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 Aṣòfin àti onídàájọ́ kan ṣoṣo ní ó ń bẹ, àní ẹni tí ó lè gbàlà tí ó sì le parun, ṣùgbọ́n ta ni ìwọ tí ó ń dá ẹnìkejì rẹ lẹ́jọ́?
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 neighbour?
13 Ẹ wá nísinsin yìí, ẹ̀yin tí ó ń wí pé, “Lónìí tàbí lọ́la àwa ó lọ sí ìlú báyìí, a ó sì ṣe ọdún kan níbẹ̀, a ó sì ṣòwò, a ó sì jèrè.”
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 Nígbà tí ẹ̀yin kò mọ ohun tí yóò hù lọ́la. Kí ni ẹ̀mí yín? Ìkùùkuu sá à ni yín, tí ó hàn nígbà díẹ̀, lẹ́yìn náà a sì túká lọ.
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 Èyí tí ẹ̀ bá fi wí pé, “Bí Olúwa bá fẹ́, àwa yóò wà láààyè, àwa ó sì ṣe èyí tàbí èyí i nì.”
Instead you should say “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
16 Ṣùgbọ́n nísinsin yìí, ẹ̀yin ń gbéraga nínú ìfọ́nnu yín, gbogbo irú ìfọ́nnu bẹ́ẹ̀, ibi ni.
But as it is, you are boasting presumptuously! All such boasting is wicked.
17 Nítorí náà ẹni tí ó bá mọ rere í ṣe tí kò sì ṣe é, ẹ̀ṣẹ̀ ni fún un.
The person, then, who knows what is right but fails to do it – that is sin in them.
