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.
Dandalaaroo fataŋ-fansoo la kuwo to
1 M baadiŋolu*, baawo ali laata m̀ Maarii Yeesu Kiristu* la, kallankeeyaa* mu meŋ taa ti, wo to ali kana moo-wo-moo faasaa.
2 Misaali fee, moo fula naata ali la bendulaa to, kiliŋo niŋ sani konnaalu aniŋ sitifeŋ ñiimaa, bari fulanjaŋo meŋ mu fuwaaroo ti, wo niŋ sitifeŋ faraŋ-farandiŋo naata duŋ jee. 3 Niŋ ali naata buuñaa dii wo doo la, meŋ ye sitifeŋ ñiimaa duŋ, ka a fo a ye ko, “Naa, sii ñaato jaŋ!” bari ali ko fuwaaroo ye ko, “Ite ye loo kooma jee, waraŋ sii teroo to, n siŋolu daala!” 4 wo to, fo ali maŋ fataŋ-fansoo le naati ali la kafoo kono baŋ? Ali keta kiitiikuntulaalu le ti, mennu ye kiitiyo kuntu ì fansuŋ miira jawoo la.
5 M baadiŋ kanuntewolu, ali i lamoyi! Fo Alla le maŋ moolu tomboŋ baŋ, mennu fuwaareyaata ñiŋ duniyaa kono, fo ì si fanka lannoo kono, aniŋ ì ye wo mansabaayaa keetaa, a ye meŋ laahidi moolu ye, mennu ye a kanu? 6 Bari alitolu ye fuwaaroo malundi kenebaa to! Fo fankamaalu le buka ali toorandi baŋ, ì ka ali samba kiitiyo to? 7 Fo itolu le buka Kiristu too horomariŋo tooñee baŋ, meŋ taa mu ali ti?
8 Niŋ ali ka Alla la mansabaayaa luwaa muta a ñaama, ko a yaamaroo be safeeriŋ ñaameŋ ko, “I si i siiñoo kanu ko i faŋo,” wo to ali be kuu betoo le ke kaŋ. 9 Bari niŋ ali ka moolu tambindi ñoo la, wo to alitolu ka junube kuwo le ke, aduŋ Luwaa tiñaalaalu la kiitiyo be laa la ali kaŋ ne. 10 Kaatu moo-wo-moo ye Luwaa bee muta, bari a naata yaamari kiliŋ tiñaa a kono, wo maarii ye Luwaa bee le tiñaa. 11 Kaatu Alla meŋ ko, “Kana jeenoo ke!” ate le fanaa ko, “Kana moofaa ke!” Saayiŋ, hani niŋ ite maŋ jeenoo ke, bari i ye moo faa, wo to ite keta luwaa tiñaalaa le ti.
12 Wo to ali diyaamu, aniŋ ali ye maa ko moolu mennu be kiitindi la ka bo niŋ luwaa la, meŋ ka moo firiŋ. 13 Kiitiyo le ka naa, meŋ buka balafaa soto moo ye, meŋ maŋ balafaa yitandi. Bari hani wo, balafaa le ye semboo soto kiitiyo ti.
Lannoo niŋ kebaaroolu
14 M baadiŋolu, moo ye muŋ nafaa le soto, niŋ a ko, a ye lannoo soto le, bari a buka baara wo la? Fo a la lannoo si a kiisa noo baŋ? 15 Niŋ baadiŋo, musoo waraŋ kewo, maŋ sitifeŋolu soto, a dasata a la domoroo la, 16 doo ko a ye ali kono ko, “Taa kayira kono. Allamaa i konoo ye faa, aduŋ sumayaa ye bo i la!” bari a maŋ feŋ dii wo maarii la suuloolu to, wo to, a ye muŋ nafaa le soto wo maarii ye? 17 Wo ñaa kiliŋo la, lannoo meŋ maŋ kebaaroolu soto, a maŋ nafaa soto, bari a faata le.
18 Bari saayiŋ moo doo si a fo noo ko, “Ite ye lannoo le soto, nte ye kebaaroolu le soto.” M be wo maarii jaabi la le ko, “I la lannoo meŋ maŋ kebaaroolu soto, a yitandi n na. Wo koolaa, m fanaa be n na lannoo yitandi la i la le, ka bo niŋ n na kebaaroolu la.”
19 I laata le ko, Alla mu kiliŋ ne ti. I nimbaara! Hani seetaani jawoolu fanaa laata wo la le, aduŋ ì ka sila le fo ì ka jarajara. 20 Ite moo kalantaŋo! Fo n ñanta a yitandi la i la le ko, lannoo meŋ maŋ kebaaroolu soto, nafaa te wo la? 21 Fo m̀ mumu Iburayima maŋ tiliŋo soto ka bo niŋ kebaaroolu le la, biriŋ a ye a dinkewo Isiyaaka bo sadaa ti sadaabodulaa* kaŋ? 22 Saayiŋ, ali naata a je le ko, lannoo le ye ate duŋ a la wo kebaaroolu to, aduŋ a la lannoo timmandita ka bo niŋ a la kebaaroolu le la. 23 Ka bo wo siloo le la, Kitaabu Senuŋo la kumoo timmata meŋ ko, “Iburayima laata Alla la le, aduŋ a la wo lannoo le naata a ke moo tilindiŋo ti Alla ñaa koto.” Bituŋ a naata kumandi “Alla teeroo” la. 24 Wo to ali ye a je le ko, moo ka tiliŋo soto ka bo niŋ kebaaroolu le la, a maŋ ke lannoo dammaa ti.
25 Fo cakamusoo Rahabu la kuwo fanaa maŋ ke wo ñaa kiliŋo le ñaama baŋ? A ye tiliŋo soto ka bo niŋ a la kebaaroolu le la, biriŋ a ye wo kewolu jiyaa, Banisirayilankoolu ye mennu kii, a ye ì kanandi niŋ sila doo la. 26 Baloo meŋ maŋ niyo soto, wo mu furewo le ti. Wo ñaa kiliŋo la, lannoo meŋ maŋ kebaaroolu soto, wo faata le.
