¹James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

¹Jaakobus, Jumala ja Issanda Jeesuse Kristuse sulane, saadab tervitusi kaheteistkümnele hajali asuvale suguharule.

²My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

²Pidage seda lausa rõõmuks, mu vennad, kui te satute mitmesugustesse kiusatustesse,

³Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

³kuna te teate, et teie usu läbikatsumine teeb teid kannatlikuks.

⁴But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

⁴Aga kannatlikkus olgu täiuslik, et te oleksite täiuslikud ja terviklikud ega oleks teis midagi vajaka.

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.

⁵Kui kellelgi teist jääb vajaka tarkust, siis ta palugu Jumalalt, kes kõigile annab heldelt ega tee etteheiteid, ja talle antakse.

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.

⁶Aga ta palugu usus, ilma kahtlemata, sest kahtleja sarnaneb tuule tõstetud ja sinna-tänna paisatud merelainega.

⁷For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

⁷Selline inimene ärgu ometi arvaku, et ta midagi saab Issandalt,

⁸A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

⁸ta on hingelt kaksipidine mees, ebakindel kõigil oma teedel.

⁹Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

⁹Madal vend kiidelgu oma kõrgusest,

¹⁰But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

¹⁰rikas aga oma madalusest, sest ta kaob nagu rohu õieke.

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.

¹¹Sest päike tõuseb lõõsaga ja kuivatab ära rohu, selle õieke variseb maha ja ta palge kaunidus kaob. Nõnda närtsib ka rikas oma ettevõtmistes.

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.

¹²Õnnis on mees, kes peab vastu kiusatuses, sest kui ta on läbi katsutud, siis ta saab pärjaks elu, mille Issand on tõotanud neile, kes teda armastavad.

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:

¹³Ärgu kiusatav öelgu: 'Jumal kiusab mind!' Sest Jumalat ei saa kiusata kurjaga, tema ise ei kiusa kedagi.

¹⁴But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

¹⁴Pigem on nii, et igaüht kiusab ta enese himu, ahvatledes ja peibutades.

¹⁵Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

¹⁵Kui seejärel himu on viljastunud, toob ta ilmale patu, aga täideviidud patt sünnitab surma.

¹⁶Do not err, my beloved brethren.

¹⁶Ärge eksige, mu armsad vennad!

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.

¹⁷Iga hea and ja iga täiuslik kink tuleb ülalt, valguste Isalt, kelle juures ei ole muutust ega varjutuste varju.

¹⁸Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

¹⁸Tema on oma tahtel meid sünnitanud tõe sõna kaudu, et me oleksime otsekui uudsevili tema loodute seas.

¹⁹Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

¹⁹Teadke seda, mu armsad vennad! Iga inimene olgu aga kärmas kuulama, pikaldane rääkima, pikaldane vihastama.

²⁰For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

²⁰Sest mehe viha ei soeta õigust Jumala ees.

²¹Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

²¹Seepärast pange maha kõik rüvedus ja rohke kurjus ning võtke tasaduses vastu sõna, mis teisse on istutatud ja suudab päästa teie hinge.

²²But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

²²Aga olge sõna tegijad ja mitte üksnes kuuljad, pettes iseendid.

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:

²³Sest kui keegi sõna kuuleb, aga selle järgi ei tee, siis ta sarnaneb mehega, kes vaatleb oma ihulikku palet peeglist.

²⁴For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

²⁴Ta vaatles ennast, läks minema ja unustas varsti, missugune ta oli.

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.

²⁵Kes on aga kummargil vaadanud vabaduse täiuslikku seadusse ja sellesse ka jääb, ei ole unustav kuulja, vaid tegude tegija - see on õnnis oma tegemises.

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.

²⁶Kui keegi arvab end Jumalat teenivat, oma keelt aga ei ohjelda, siis ta petab oma südant. Selline jumalateenistus on tühine.

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.

²⁷Jumala ja Isa silmis puhas ja laitmatu jumalateenistus on käia vaatamas vaeslapsi ja lesknaisi nende viletsuses ja hoida iseennast maailma poolt määrimata.