1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.
Trials and Temptations
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verses 16 and 19; and in 2:1, 5, 14; 3:10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19. whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
9Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Listening and Doing
19My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
26Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
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.
