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.
1Yaƙub, bawan Allah da kuma na Ubangiji Yesu Kiristi,
Zuwa ga kabilan nan goma sha biyu, da suke warwartse a cikin al’ummai.
Gaisuwa mai yawa.
Gwaje-gwaje da jarrabobi
2Ku ɗauki wannan da farin ciki mai tsabta, ’yan’uwana, duk sa’ad da gwaje-gwaje na kowane iri suka zo muku, 3domin kun san cewa gwajin bangaskiyarku yakan haifi daurewa. 4Dole daurewa ta kammala aikinta don ku zama balagaggu da kuma cikakku, ba ku kuma rasa kome ba. 5In waninku ya rasa hikima, ya kamata yă roƙi Allah, mai bayarwa hannu sake ga kowa ba tare da gori ba, za a kuwa ba shi. 6Amma sa’ad da ya roƙa, dole yă gaskata, ba tare da shakka ba, domin shi mai shakka, yana kama da raƙumar ruwan tekun da iska take kori tana kuma ɓuɓɓugowa. 7Kada irin wannan mutum yă yi tsammani zai sami wani abu daga Ubangiji; 8shi mai zuciya biyu ne, marar tsai da zuciyarsa wuri ɗaya a cikin duk abin da yake yi.
9Bari ɗan’uwan da yake cikin halin ƙasƙanci yă yi taƙama a matsayinsa na ɗaukaka. 10Amma wanda yake mai arziki, ya kamata yă yi taƙama a matsayinsa na ƙasƙanci, gama ba zai daɗe ba kamar furen jeji. 11Gama in rana ta fito ta yi zafi mai tsanani sai ta sa tsiro yă yanƙwane tsiro; furensa yă kakkaɓe, kyansa kuma yă lalace. Haka ma mai arziki zai shuɗe yayinda yake cikin harkarsa.
12Mai albarka ne mutumin da yake daurewa cikin gwaji, gama bayan ya yi nasara da gwajin, zai sami rawanin rai wanda Allah ya yi alkawari ga waɗanda suke ƙaunarsa.
13Sa’ad da aka jarrabci mutum, kada yă ce, “Allah ne yake jarrabtarsa.” Gama ba ya yiwuwa a jarrabci Allah da mugunta, shi kuma ba ya jarrabtar kowa; 14amma akan jarrabce kowane mutum sa’ad da muguwar sha’awarsa ta janye shi ta kuma rinjaye shi. 15Sa’an nan, bayan da sha’awar ta yi ciki, takan haifi zunubi; zunubi kuwa, sa’ad da ya balaga yakan haifi mutuwa.
16Kada a ruɗe ku, ’yan’uwana ƙaunatattu. 17Kowane abu mai kyau da kuma kowace cikakkiyar kyauta daga sama suke, sun sauko ne daga wurin Uban haskoki, wanda ba sauyawa ko wata alamar sākewa a gare shi faufau. 18Ya zaɓa yă haife mu ta wurin kalmar gaskiya, domin mu zama ’ya’yan fari na dukan abin da ya halitta.
Saurarawa da kuma aikatawa
19’Yan’uwana ƙaunatattu, ku lura da wannan. Ya kamata kowa yă kasance mai saurin saurara, ba mai saurin magana ba, ba kuma mai saurin fushi ba, 20gama fushin mutum ba ya kawo rayuwar adalcin da Allah yake so. 21Saboda haka, ku rabu da ƙazamin hali da kuma kowace irin mugunta ku kuma yi na’am da maganar da aka shuka a cikinku da tawali’u, wadda za tă iya cetonku.
22Kada ku zama masu ji kawai, ku ruɗi kanku. A maimakon haka ku zama masu yin abin da ta ce. 23Duk wanda yake ji magana ne kawai, bai kuwa aikata abin da ta ce ba, yana kama da mutumin da ya kalli fuskarsa a madubi 24bayan ya kalli kansa, sa’ad da ya tashi daga wurin, nan da nan sai yă manta da kamanninsa. 25Amma duk mai duba cikakkiyar ƙa’idan nan ta ’yanci, ya kuma nace a kanta, ya zama ba mai ji ne kawai yă mance ba, sai dai mai yi ne yă zartar, to wannan shi za a yi wa albarka a cikin abin da yake yi.
26In wani ya ɗauki kansa mai addini ne duk da haka bai ƙame harshensa ba, ruɗin kansa yake yi addininsa kuwa banza ne. 27Addinin da Allah Ubanmu ya yarda da shi a matsayin mai tsabta da kuma marar aibi shi ne, a kula da marayu da gwauraye cikin damuwoyinsu, a kuma kiyaye kai daga lalacin da duniya take sa wa.
