1I, James, am writing this letter. I serve God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am sending this letter to you, the 12 tribes scattered among the nations.
Greetings.
Facing All Kinds of Trouble
2My brothers and sisters, you will face all kinds of trouble. When you do, think of it as pure joy. 3Your faith will be tested. You know that when this happens it will produce in you the strength to continue. 4And you must allow this strength to finish its work. Then you will be all you should be. You will have everything you need. 5If any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He will give it to you. God gives freely to everyone and doesn’t find fault. 6But when you ask, you must believe. You must not doubt. That’s because a person who doubts is like a wave of the sea. The wind blows and tosses them around. 7They shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8This kind of person can’t make up their mind. They can never decide what to do.
9Here’s what believers who are in low positions in life should be proud of. They should be proud that God has given them a high position in the kingdom. 10But rich people should take pride in their low positions. That’s because they will fade away like wild flowers. 11The sun rises. Its burning heat dries up the plants. Their blossoms fall. Their beauty is destroyed. In the same way, rich people will fade away. They fade away even as they go about their business.
12Blessed is the person who keeps on going when times are hard. After they have come through hard times, this person will receive a crown. The crown is life itself. The Lord has promised it to those who love him.
13When a person is tempted, they shouldn’t say, “God is tempting me.” God can’t be tempted by evil. And he doesn’t tempt anyone. 14But each person is tempted by their own evil desires. These desires lead them on and drag them away. 15When these desires are allowed to remain, they lead to sin. And when sin is allowed to remain and grow, it leads to death.
16My dear brothers and sisters, don’t let anyone fool you. 17Every good and perfect gift is from God. This kind of gift comes down from the Father who created the heavenly lights. These lights create shadows that move. But the Father does not change like these shadows. 18God chose to give us new birth through the message of truth. He wanted us to be the first harvest of his new creation.
Listen to the Word and Do What It Says
19My dear brothers and sisters, pay attention to what I say. Everyone should be quick to listen. But they should be slow to speak. They should be slow to get angry. 20Human anger doesn’t produce the holy life God wants. 21So get rid of everything that is sinful. Get rid of the evil that is all around us. Don’t be too proud to accept the word that is planted in you. It can save you.
22Don’t just listen to the word. You fool yourselves if you do that. You must do what it says. 23Suppose someone listens to the word but doesn’t do what it says. Then they are like a person who looks at their face in a mirror. 24After looking at themselves, they leave. And right away they forget what they look like. 25But suppose someone takes a good look at the perfect law that gives freedom. And they keep looking at it. Suppose they don’t forget what they’ve heard, but they do what the law says. Then this person will be blessed in what they do.
26Suppose people think their beliefs and how they live are both right. But they don’t control what they say. Then they are fooling themselves. Their beliefs and way of life are not worth anything at all. 27Here are the beliefs and way of life that God our Father accepts as pure and without fault. When widows are in trouble, take care of them. Do the same for children who have no parents. And don’t let the world make you impure.
1Yakobo, mtumiki wa Mulungu ndi wa Ambuye Yesu Khristu,
kulembera mafuko khumi ndi awiri obalalikana ku mayiko osiyanasiyana.
Landirani moni.
Masautso ndi Mayesero
2Abale, muchiyese ngati chimwemwe chenicheni nthawi zonse pamene mukukumana ndi mayesero amitundumitundu. 3Inu mukudziwa kuti kuyesedwa kwa chikhulupiriro chanu kumabweretsa chipiriro. 4Chipiriro chiyenera kugwira ntchito yake kuti mukhale okhwima ndi angwiro, osasowa kanthu kalikonse. 5Ngati wina pakati panu akusowa nzeru, apemphe kwa Mulungu amene amapereka kwa onse mwaulere ndi mosatonzera, ndipo adzapatsidwa. 6Koma pamene mupempha, muyenera kukhulupirira osakayika, chifukwa amene amakayika ali ngati mafunde pa nyanja amene amawinduka nakankhika ndi mphepo. 7Munthu wotere asayembekezere kulandira kalikonse kuchokera kwa Ambuye. 8Iyeyu ndi munthu wa mitima iwiri, wosakhazikika pa zimene akuchita.
9Abale omwe ndi anthu wamba anyadire pamene akwezedwa. 10Koma olemera anyadire pamene atsitsidwa, chifukwa adzatha ngati duwa lakuthengo. 11Pakuti dzuwa limatuluka nʼkutentha kwake, ndipo limafotetsa zomera. Duwa lake limathothoka ndipo kukongola kwake kumatheratu. Momwemonso munthu wachuma adzazimirira ngakhale atamachitabe malonda ake.
12Wodala ndi munthu amene amapirira mʼmayesero, chifukwa akapambana adzalandira chipewa cha ulemerero chimene Mulungu analonjeza anthu amene amamukonda.
13Munthu akayesedwa asanene kuti, “Mulungu akundiyesa.” Pakuti Mulungu sangayesedwe ndi choyipa kapena Iyeyo kuyesa munthu aliyense. 14Koma munthu aliyense amayesedwa akakokedwa ndi zilakolako zake zoyipa ndi kukopedwa nazo. 15Pamenepo, chilakolako chikakula chimabala tchimo; ndipo tchimo likakhwima limabereka imfa.
16Musanyengedwe abale anga okondedwa. 17Mphatso iliyonse yabwino ndi yangwiro imachokera kumwamba, kwa Atate mwini kuwala, amene sasintha ngati mthunzi woyendayenda. 18Iye anasankha kutibereka ife kudzera mʼmawu a choonadi, kuti pakati pa zolengedwa zake zonse, tikakhale ngati zipatso zoyamba.
Kumva ndi Kuchita
19Abale anga okondedwa, gwiritsitsani mawu awa: munthu aliyense azifulumira kumva, koma asamafulumire kuyankhula, ndipo asamafulumirenso kupsa mtima. 20Pakuti mkwiyo wa munthu subweretsa chilungamo chimene amafuna Mulungu. 21Choncho chotsani chizolowezi choyipa ndi khalidwe loyipa pakati panu, ndipo modzichepetsa landirani mawu amene anadzalidwa mwa inu, amene akhoza kukupulumutsani.
22Musamangomvetsera chabe mawu, ndi kumadzinyenga nokha. Chitani zimene mawuwo amanena. 23Munthu aliyense amene amangomva mawu koma osachita zimene mawuwo amanena, ali ngati munthu amene amayangʼana nkhope yake pa galasi. 24Akadziyangʼana amachoka, nthawi yomweyo nʼkuyiwala mmene akuonekera. 25Koma munthu amene amayangʼana mwachidwi lamulo langwiro limene limapatsa ufulu ndi kupitiriza kutero, osayiwala chimene wamva koma kuchita adzadalitsika pa zimene amachita.
26Ngati wina amadziyesa ngati ndi wachipembedzo, koma chonsecho saletsa lilime lake, amadzinyenga yekha ndipo chipembedzo chakecho ndi cha chabechabe. 27Chipembedzo chimene Mulungu Atate athu amachivomereza kuti ndi changwiro ndi chopanda zolakwika ndi ichi: kusamalira ana amasiye ndi akazi amasiye pa mavuto awo, ndi kudzisunga bwino kuopa kudetsedwa ndi dziko lapansi.
