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.
Amu karasana nombangu
1 Vakwetu, otja mbu mu ri ovakambure mu Muhona wetu Jesus Kristus, oMuhona wongeṋangeṋeno, ngaamu roro amu tjindi ovandu otja kombunikiro yawo. 2 Ngatu tje mozosinagoge zeṋu pe ya omutumbe ngwa twako ongoho ongoldo pomunwe, nu ngwa zara ozombanda ozombwa, nomusyona wina ngwa zara ozombanda zondova. 3 Nu tji mamu yandja ondengero tjinene komundu ngwi ngwa zara nawa namu tja ku ye: “Indjo u kare pehi popawa mba”, nungwari komusyona amu tja: “ove kakurame ngwina poo kara pehi mba pozombaze zandje”, 4 eṋe mu nondjo yokutjita ohaṋi pokati keṋu oveni noyokutjita ozombanguriro zomeripuriro omavi.
5 Purateneye, vakwetu vandje ovasuverwa! Ndjambi wa toorora ovasyona wouye mbwi kutja ve rire ovatumbe mongamburiro, nokutja ve rumate ouhona mbwi eye mbwa kwizikira imba mbe mu suvera. 6 Nungwari eṋe kamu yandja ondengero kovasyona. Kavatumbe are mbe mu ṋiṋikiza, nu kavatumbe are mbe mu nanena komurungu wovapangure? 7 Kawo are mbe yamburura indi ena ewa ra ingwi ngu ri oweṋu?
8 Eṋe mamu tjiti osemba tji mamu ṱakamisa etwako rouhona wa Ndjambi, ndi mari tja nai momatjangwa: “Suvera omukweṋu otja tji we risuvera omuini.” 9 Nungwari tji mamu pangura ovandu otja kombunikiro yawo, eṋe mamu tjiti ourunde, nEtwako mari mu vere otja ovakatuke. 10 Ingwi ngu ma katuka etwako rimwe u nondjo yokukatuka omatwako aehe. 11 Orondu ingwi tjingeye ngu ma tja: “Ko nakukatuka ko orukupo”, wina ongu ma tja: “Ko nakuzepa ko.” Nu tji u hi nokukatuka orukupo nu mo zepa, ove mo rire omukatuke womatwako aehe. 12 Hungireye nu mu ungure otja ovandu mbu mamu pangurwa i etwako, ndi mari tu kutura atuhe. 13 Orondu Ndjambi ke nokuraisa otjari, tji ma pangura omundu ngu hi notjari. Nungwari ingwi ngwa tjitire otjari ma tjitirwa otjari mombanguriro.
Ongamburiro novitjitwa
14 Vakwetu, mape vatere tjike omundu tji ma tja eye u nongamburiro, novitjitwa vye tji vi hi nokuraisa ongamburiro ndji? Ongamburiro ndji mai sora okumuyama are? 15 Ngatu tje pe nomurumendu poo omukazendu ngwa hepa ozombanda nu ngu hi notjiṋa okurya. 16 Mape vatere tjike umwe mokati keṋu tji ma tja ku wo: “Ndjambi nge mu sere ondaya; woteye omuriro nu mu rye okukuta nawa,” tji mu hi nokuvepa imbi oviparure ovinanḓengu vyorutu? 17 Nongamburiro wina otjinga ai ri nao: Oyo tji i ri uriri nokuhinovitjitwa, okutja ya koka.
18 Nungwari omundu worive ma tja: “Omundu umwe u nongamburiro nomukwao u noviungura.” Eziriro randje oro ndi: “Omundu ma sora vi okukara nongamburiro nokuhinoviungura. Ami me ku raisire ongamburiro yandje moviungura vyandje.” 19 Mo kambura kutja Ndjambi iumwe are? Osemba! Ozombepo ozohakohoke wina ze kambura nu aze zezerisiwa i ondiriro. 20 Mundu eyova, movanga okuraisirwa kutja ongamburiro nokuhinoviungura oyo omungandjo are? 21 Tate mukururume Abraham wa varwa vi kutja omusemba komurungu wa Ndjambi? Eye wa varwa kutja omusemba komurungu we indu tja punguhira omuna we Isak kotjipunguhiro. 22 Ko nokumuna are? Ongamburiro ye ya ungura pamwe noviungura vye; nongamburiro ye ya yenenisiwa moviungura vye. 23 Nomatjangwa otji ya rira ouatjiri nga tja: “Abraham wa kambura mu Ndjambi, nu motjimbe tjongamburiro ndji Ndjambi we mu vara otja omusemba.” Abraham opa isanenwa kutja epanga ra Ndjambi. 24 Nopu mamu munine kutja omundu u varwa otja omusemba komurungu wa Ndjambi moviungura vye, nungwari ka mongamburiro ye porwayo.
25 Notjinga apa ri nao nomukazendu omukorondu Rahab. Eye wa varwa otja omusemba komurungu wa Ndjambi moviungura vye, indu tja yakura ozohoze zOvaisrael na indu tje ve vatera okutaura nondjira yarwe.
26 Notja orutu nokuhinomasuvaneno tjinga arwa koka, ongamburiro nokuhina ovitjitwa wina otjinga aya koka.
