Treat Everyone the Same
1My brothers and sisters, you are believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. So treat everyone the same. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes. And suppose a poor man in dirty old clothes also comes in. 3Would you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes? Would you say, “Here’s a good seat for you”? Would you say to the poor man, “You stand there”? Or “Sit on the floor by my feet”? 4If you would, aren’t you treating some people better than others? Aren’t you like judges who have evil thoughts?
5My dear brothers and sisters, listen to me. Hasn’t God chosen those who are poor in the world’s eyes to be rich in faith? Hasn’t he chosen them to receive the kingdom? Hasn’t he promised it to those who love him? 6But you have disrespected poor people. Aren’t rich people taking advantage of you? Aren’t they dragging you into court? 7Aren’t they speaking evil things against the worthy name of Jesus? Remember, you belong to him.
8The royal law is found in Scripture. It says, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18) If you really keep this law, you are doing what is right. 9But you sin if you don’t treat everyone the same. The law judges you because you have broken it. 10Suppose you keep the whole law but trip over just one part of it. Then you are guilty of breaking all of it. 11God said, “Do not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18) He also said, “Do not commit murder.” (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17) Suppose you don’t commit adultery but do commit murder. Then you have broken the law.
12Speak and act like people who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom. 13Those who have not shown mercy will not receive mercy when they are judged. To show mercy is better than to judge.
Show Your Faith by What You Do
14Suppose a person claims to have faith but doesn’t act on their faith. My brothers and sisters, can this kind of faith save them? 15Suppose a brother or a sister has no clothes or food. 16Suppose one of you says to them, “Go. I hope everything turns out fine for you. Keep warm. Eat well.” And suppose you do nothing about what they really need. Then what good have you done? 17It is the same with faith. If it doesn’t cause us to do something, it’s dead.
18But someone will say, “You have faith. I do good deeds.”
Show me your faith that doesn’t cause you to do good deeds. And I will show you my faith by the goods deeds I do. 19You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that. And they tremble!
20You foolish person! Do you want proof that faith without good deeds is useless? 21Our father Abraham offered his son Isaac on the altar. Wasn’t he considered to be right with God because of what he did? 22So you see that what he believed and what he did were working together. What he did made his faith complete. 23That is what Scripture means where it says, “Abraham believed God. God accepted Abraham because he believed. So his faith made him right with God.” (Genesis 15:6) And that’s not all. God called Abraham his friend. 24So you see that a person is considered right with God by what they do. It doesn’t happen only because they believe.
25Didn’t God consider even Rahab the prostitute to be right with him? That’s because of what she did for the spies. She gave them a place to stay. Then she sent them off in a different direction. 26A person’s body without their spirit is dead. In the same way, faith without good deeds is dead.
Obutabaamu kyekubiira
12:1 a 1Ko 2:8 b Lv 19:15Abooluganda, mmwe abakkiririza mu Mukama waffe Yesu Kristo, Mukama ow’ekitiibwa, temusosolanga mu bantu. 2Kubanga singa omuntu omu ajja mu kuŋŋaaniro lyammwe, ng’ayambadde engoye ez’omuwendo omunene, ng’anaanise n’empeta eza zaabu ku ngalo ze, mu kiseera kye kimu ne wajjawo n’omusajja omwavu ng’ali mu ngoye ezisensusesensuse, 3ne mwaniriza omugagga, ne mumugamba nti, “Tuulira wano kyokka ne mugamba omwavu nti ggwe oyinza okuyimirira wali, oba si ekyo tuula wano wansi w’akatebe kwe nteeka ebigere byange,” 42:4 Yk 7:24kale muba temwesosoddeemu mwekka na mwekka nga mukyamizibwa ebirowoozo byammwe ebibi?
52:5 a Yak 1:16, 19 b 1Ko 1:26-28 c Luk 12:21 d Yak 1:12Mumpulirize, abooluganda abaagalwa, Katonda teyalonda abo ensi b’eyita abaavu, okuba abagagga mu kukkiriza, era okuba abasika ab’obwakabaka obw’omu ggulu, Katonda bwe yasuubiza abo abamwagala? 62:6 a 1Ko 11:22 b Bik 8:3Naye munyooma omwavu. Abagagga si be babanyigiriza ne babatwala ne mu mbuga z’amateeka? 7Era si be banyoomoola erinnya eddungi lye muyitibwa?
82:8 Lv 19:18Kiba kirungi nnyo era kya kitiibwa bwe mugondera etteeka eriri mu Kyawandiikibwa erigamba nti, “Yagalanga muliraanwa wo nga bwe weeyagala wekka.” 92:9 a nny 1 b Ma 1:17Naye bwe musosola mu bantu muba mukoze kibi, n’etteeka libasingisa omusango ng’aboonoonyi. 102:10 Mat 5:19; Bag 3:10Era omuntu akwata amateeka gonna, naye n’asobyako erimu, omusango gumusinga mu ngeri y’emu ng’oli asobezza amateeka gonna. 112:11 a Kuv 20:14; Ma 5:18 b Kuv 20:13; Ma 5:17Kubanga Katonda eyagamba nti, “Toyendanga,” era y’omu eyagamba nti, “Tottanga.” Noolwekyo singa toyenda, naye n’otta oba mumenyi wa mateeka gonna.
122:12 Yak 1:25Noolwekyo mwogere era mukole ng’amateeka ag’eddembe bwe gali naye nga mumanyi nti tunaatera okulamulwa. 132:13 Mat 5:7; 18:32-35Kubanga abo abatalina kisa, nabo tebalikwatirwa kisa. Ekisa kiwangula omusango.
Okukkiriza n’ebikolwa ebirungi
142:14 Mat 7:26; Yak 1:22-25Abooluganda, kibagasa ki okugamba nti mulina okukkiriza kyokka ng’okukkiriza kwammwe temukwoleka mu bikolwa? Mulowooza ng’okukkiriza ng’okwo kugenda kubalokola? 152:15 Mat 25:35, 36Singa muganda wo oba mwannyoko takyalina kyakwambala wadde ekyokulya, 162:16 1Yk 3:17, 18naye omu ku mmwe n’amugamba nti, “Genda mirembe, obugume, era olye bulungi”, naye nga tamuwaddeeyo byetaago bya mubiri, olwo kimugasa ki? 17Noolwekyo n’okukkiriza bwe kutyo; bwe kutabaako bikolwa kuba kufu.
182:18 a Bar 3:28 b Yak 3:13Naye omuntu ayinza okugamba nti, “Ggwe olina okukkiriza nange nnina ebikolwa; ndaga okukkiriza kwo okutaliiko bikolwa, nange nkulage ebikolwa byange nga bwe bikakasa okukkiriza kwange.” 192:19 a Ma 6:4 b Mat 8:29; Luk 4:34Okukkiriza obukkiriza nti waliwo Katonda omu yekka, kirungi. Naye ne baddayimooni nabo bakkiriza n’okukankana ne bakankana!
202:20 nny 17, 26Musirusiru ggwe! Oliyiga ddi ng’okukkiriza okutaliiko bikolwa tekuliiko kye kugasa? 212:21 Lub 22:9, 12Jjajjaffe Ibulayimu teyaweebwa obutuukirivu olw’ekikolwa kye yakola, bwe yawaayo omwana we lsaaka, afiire ku kyoto? 222:22 a Beb 11:17 b 1Bs 1:3Mulaba nga Ibulayimu bwe yalina okukkiriza, era okukkiriza kwe ne kutuukirizibwa olw’ebikolwa bye, 232:23 a Lub 15:6; Bar 4:3 b 2By 20:7; Is 41:8n’ekyawandiikibwa ne kituukirizibwa ekigamba nti, “Ibulayimu yakkiriza Katonda, ne kimubalirwa okuba obutuukirivu, era n’ayitibwa mukwano gwa Katonda.” 24Kaakano mutegedde ng’omuntu asiimibwa Katonda olw’ebyo by’akola, so si lwa kukkiriza kyokka.
252:25 Beb 11:31Ekyokulabirako ekirala kye kya Lakabu, eyali malaaya. Teyaweebwa butuukirivu lwa kikolwa eky’okusembeza ababaka, n’oluvannyuma n’abasiibulira mu kkubo eddala nga baddayo, okubawonya? 262:26 nny 17, 20Ng’omubiri bwe guba omufu omwoyo bwe gutagubeeramu, n’okukkiriza bwe kutyo kuba kufu bwe kuteeyolekera mu bikolwa.
