Warning against Prejudice
1 My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance. 2 Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes. 3 If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, “Have this best seat here,” but say to the poor man, “Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet,” 4 then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives.
5 Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him. 6 But you dishonor the poor! Who are the ones who oppress you and drag you before the judges? The rich! 7 They are the ones who speak evil of that good name which has been given to you.
8 You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 9 But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker. 10 Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all. 11 For the same one who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Even if you do not commit adultery, you have become a lawbreaker if you commit murder. 12 Speak and act as people who will be judged by the law that sets us free. 13 For God will not show mercy when he judges the person who has not been merciful; but mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith and Actions
14 My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you? 15 Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat. 16 What good is there in your saying to them, “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!”—if you don't give them the necessities of life? 17 So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.
18 But someone will say, “One person has faith, another has actions.” My answer is, “Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions.” 19 Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe—and tremble with fear. 20 You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless? 21 How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar. 22 Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions. 23 And the scripture came true that said, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” And so Abraham was called God's friend. 24 You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone.
25 It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road.
26 So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead.
Kushalaulana
1 Zwikamu, se bagalimoyo muna Jesu Kirisiti She we tjedza, musitongobe ne shalaulo. 2 Nge kuti ha kuzha bathu mu gubungano lenyu, mmwe akaambala linga le golide ne zwiambalo zwakanaka, mmwe ali nshayi wakapalukigwa, 3 mube muti kuna we zwiambalo zwakanaka, “Izha ugale apa pakalulwama,” mube mudwa nshayi muti, “Mila apaje,” kene “Gala pasi,” 4 apa amuzoshalaula mukabe basumikilisi bana mikumbulo mibi kene?
5 Hwililani zwikamu zwinodika. Amutoziba kuti Ndzimu wakashalula bashayi mu shango kuti babe bafumi mu bugalimoyo nenge kuti babe ibo banowobe bana be bushe mu bushe gwe kudzimu, igo gwawakabagadzabgwe banouda kene? 6 Koga makalengudza bashayi. Apa ate ili bafumi banomutshambilidza bemukwebela mu lubazhe kuti musumikilisiwe kene? 7 Apa bafumi ate ibo banotuka zina gulu, ileli lamunodang'wa ndilo kene?
8 Ha mulondolodza nlayo we bushe umu hwalo dze Ndzimu unoti, “Ida mmwe nthu sekwa unozwida,” mothama zubuyanana. 9 Koga ha mushalaula bathu mothama tjibi, ne nlayo unomubona nlandu we kuti mu batjinyi. 10 Nge kuti iye unotobela milayo mimwe yose koga katjuluka nng'ompela, unofanana ne watjuluka yose. 11 Nge kuti iye wakati, “Usi thame bupombgwe,” ndiyezwe wakati, “Usibulaye.” Ngono ngwenu ha usingathame bupombgwe koga ubulaya, unobe watjuluka milayo yose. 12 Ndizo muti tjamunoleba mutjishinge, muziba kuti mowosumikilisiwa nge nlayo we sununguko. 13 Ngobe kusumilikisa akuna mahwilongoni muna usakabe ne mahwilongoni, se mahwilongoni e kunda kusumikilisa.
Ibeni ne mishingo inolakidza kugalamoyo kwenyu
14 Kobuzilani zwikamu, ha nthu eti unogalamoyo, koga asina mishingo? Kugalamoyo kwakajalo kungantjidza kene? 15 Ha zwikamu, zwimwe zwizha kumuli zwiamba zhala ne zwiambalo zwisina, 16 ngono mmwe wenyu kabe ezwidwa eti, “Yendani nge mbakiso, muje mugute, mufuke mudziyigwe,” koga musazwipa zojiwa ne zwiambalo, kobhatshani kene? 17 Ne kugalamoyo ha kusina mishingo, kuli kugalamoyo koga, kwakafa.
18 Koga mmwe ungati kumuli, “Iwe una kugalamoyo, ngono imi ndina mishingo.” Tongo ndilakidza kugalamoyo kuko kusina mishingo, imi ndowokulakidza kugalamoyo kwangu nge mishingo. 19 Moduma kuti kuna Ndzimu nng'ompela, mothama zubuyanana. Ne meya mibi inoduma, ika tetema. 20 Tjilengwe ndiwe! Apa unoshaka kulakidziwa kuti kugalamoyo kusina mishingo aatekwe tjimwe kene? 21 Autoziba kuti tate bedu Abhurahama bakatogwa balinlulwami nge Ndzimu nge mishingo yabo, nge kuti bakabe bapa Ndzimu mwana wabo Isaki, tjili tjibhayilo mu tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo kene? 22 Unobona kuti kugalamoyo kukwe kwakabe kwakashangana ne mishingo kene? 23 Ndizo kukashingikala matama amu hwalo dze Ndzimu anoti, “Abhurahama wakagalamoyo mu Ndzimu, ngono nge kugalamoyo kukwe Ndzimu wakanthama nlulwami.” Ndizo kadang'wa kuyi nzwalani we Ndzimu.
24 Mobona kuti nthu unothamwa nlulwami nge mishingo kusi nge kugalamoyo kuli koga?
25 Amutoziba kuti Rahabu we fukula wakathamwa nlulwami nge mishingo kene? Wakati kaamutjila shodzi, ngono kadzilonga mu zila isina zwita.
26 Ngono se mbili usina meya wakafa, kugalamoyo kusina mishingo na ikobo kwakafa.