1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 9Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: 10But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. 11For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 12Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 13Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. 27Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
1Jakọbu, ìránṣẹ́ Ọlọ́run àti ti Jesu Kristi Olúwa,
Sí àwọn ẹ̀yà méjìlá tí ó fọ́n káàkiri, orílẹ̀-èdè.
Àlàáfíà.
Àwọn ìṣòro àti àwọn ìdánwò
2Ẹ̀yin ará mi, nígbà tí ẹ̀yin bá bọ́ sínú onírúurú ìdánwò, ẹ ka gbogbo rẹ̀ sí ayọ̀; 3nítorí tí ẹ̀yin mọ̀ pé, ìdánwò ìgbàgbọ́ yín ń ṣiṣẹ́ sùúrù. 4Ṣùgbọ́n ẹ jẹ́ kí sùúrù kí ó ṣiṣẹ́ àṣepé, kí ẹ̀yin kí ó lè jẹ́ pípé àti aláìlábùkù tí kò ṣe aláìní ohunkóhun. 5Bí ó bá ku ọgbọ́n fún ẹnikẹ́ni, kí ó béèrè lọ́wọ́ Ọlọ́run ẹni tí fi fún gbogbo ènìyàn ní ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀, tí kì í sì ka àlébù sí; a ó sì fi fún un. 6Ṣùgbọ́n nígbà tí òun bá béèrè ní ìgbàgbọ́, ní àìṣiyèméjì rárá. Nítorí ẹni tí ó ń sé iyèméjì dàbí ìgbì omi Òkun, tí à ń ti ọwọ́ afẹ́fẹ́ bì síwá bì sẹ́yìn, tí a sì ń rú u sókè. 7Kí irú ènìyàn bẹ́ẹ̀ má ṣe rò pé, òun yóò rí ohunkóhun gbà lọ́wọ́ Olúwa; 8Ó jẹ ènìyàn oníyèméjì aláìlèdúró ní ọ̀nà rẹ̀ gbogbo.
9Ṣùgbọ́n jẹ́ kí arákùnrin tí ó ń ṣe onírẹ̀lẹ̀ máa ṣògo ní ipò gíga. 101.10-11: Isa 40.6-7.Àti ọlọ́rọ̀, ní ìrẹ̀sílẹ̀, nítorí bí ìtànná koríko ni yóò kọjá lọ. 11Nítorí oòrùn là ti òun ti ooru gbígbóná yóò gbẹ́ koríko, ìtànná rẹ̀ sì rẹ̀ dànù, ẹwà ojú rẹ̀ sì parun: bẹ́ẹ̀ pẹ̀lú ni ọlọ́rọ̀ yóò ṣègbé ní ọ̀nà rẹ̀.
12Ìbùkún ni fún ọkùnrin tí ó fi ọkàn rán ìdánwò; nítorí nígbà tí ó bá yege, yóò gba adé ìyè, tí Olúwa ti ṣèlérí fún àwọn tí ó fẹ́ ẹ.
13Kí ẹnikẹ́ni tí a dánwò kí ó má ṣe wí pé, “Láti ọwọ́ Ọlọ́run ni a ti dán mi wò.” Nítorí a kò lè fi búburú dán Ọlọ́run wò, òun náà kì í sì í dán ẹnikẹ́ni wò; 14Ṣùgbọ́n olúkúlùkù ni a ń dánwò nígbà tí a bá fi ọwọ́ ìfẹ́kúfẹ̀ẹ́ ara rẹ̀ fà á lọ tí a sì tàn án jẹ. 15Ǹjẹ́, ìfẹ́kúfẹ̀ẹ́ nígbà tí ó bá lóyún a bí ẹ̀ṣẹ̀, àti ẹ̀ṣẹ̀ náà nígbà tí ó bá dàgbà tán, a bí ikú.
16Kí a má ṣe tàn yín jẹ, ẹ̀yin ará mi olùfẹ́. 17Gbogbo ẹ̀bùn rere àti gbogbo ẹ̀bùn pípé láti òkè ni ó ti wá, ó sì sọ̀kalẹ̀ láti ọ̀dọ̀ baba ìmọ́lẹ̀ wá, lọ́dọ̀ ẹni tí kò lè yípadà gẹ́gẹ́ bí òjìji àyídà. 18Ó pinnu láti fi ọ̀rọ̀ òtítọ́ bí wa kí àwa kí ó le jẹ́ àkọ́so nínú ohun gbogbo tí ó dá.
Gbígbọ́ àti ṣíṣe ọrọ̀ náà
19Kí ẹ mọ èyí, ẹ̀yin ará mi olùfẹ́; jẹ́ kí olúkúlùkù ènìyàn kí ó máa yára láti gbọ́, kí ó lọ́ra láti fọhùn, kí ó si lọ́ra láti bínú; 20Nítorí ìbínú ènìyàn kì í ṣiṣẹ́ òdodo irú èyí tí Ọlọ́run ń fẹ́. 21Nítorí náà, ẹ lépa láti borí gbogbo èérí àti ìwà búburú tí ó gbilẹ̀ yíká, kí ẹ sì fi ọkàn tútù gba ọ̀rọ̀ náà tí a gbìn, tí ó lè gba ọkàn yín là.
22Ẹ má kan jẹ́ olùgbọ́ ọ̀rọ̀ náà lásán, kí ẹ má ba à ti ipa èyí tan ara yín jẹ́. Ẹ ṣe ohun tí ó sọ. 23Nítorí bí ẹnikẹ́ni bá jẹ́ olùgbọ́ ọ̀rọ̀ náà tí kò sì jẹ́ olùṣe, òun dàbí ọkùnrin tí ó ń ṣàkíyèsí ojú ara rẹ̀ nínú dígí 24Nítorí, lẹ́yìn tí ó bá ti ṣàkíyèsí ara rẹ̀, tí ó sì bá tirẹ̀ lọ, lójúkan náà òun sì gbàgbé bí òun ti rí. 25Ṣùgbọ́n ẹni tí ó bá ń wo inú òfin pípé, òfin òmìnira ni, tí ó sì dúró nínú rẹ̀, tí òun kò sì jẹ́ olùgbọ́ tí ń gbàgbé bí kò ṣe olùṣe rẹ̀, òun yóò jẹ́ alábùkún nínú iṣẹ́ rẹ̀.
26Bí ẹnikẹ́ni bá rò pé òun ń sin Ọlọ́run nígbà tí kò kó ahọ́n rẹ̀ ní ìjánu, ó ń tan ọkàn ara rẹ̀ jẹ, ìsìn rẹ̀ sì jẹ́ asán. 27Ìsìn mímọ́ àti aláìléèérí níwájú Ọlọ́run àti baba ni èyí, láti máa bojútó àwọn aláìní baba àti àwọn opó nínú ìpọ́njú wọn, àti láti pa ara rẹ̀ mọ́ láìlábàwọ́n kúrò nínú ayé.
