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

¹Mimi Yakobo, mtumishi wa Mungu na wa Bwana Yesu Kristo, nawaandikia ninyi, makabila kumi na mawili, yaliyotawanyika ulimwenguni! Salaam!

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

²Ndugu zangu, muwe na furaha mnapopatwa na majaribu mbalimbali,

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

³kwani mwajua kwamba imani yenu ikisha stahimili, itawapatieni uvumilivu.

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

⁴Muwe na hakika kwamba uvumilivu wenu utawategemeza mpaka mwisho, mpate kuwa wakamilifu na watimilifu, bila kupungukiwa chochote.

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.

⁵Lakini kama mmoja wenu ametindikiwa hekima, basi, anapaswa kumwomba Mungu ambaye atampatia; kwani Mungu huwapa wote kwa wingi na kwa ukarimu.

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.

⁶Lakini anapaswa kuomba kwa imani bila mashaka yoyote. Mtu aliye na mashaka ni kama mawimbi ya bahari ambayo husukumwa na kutupwatupwa na upepo.

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

⁷Mtu wa namna hiyo, mwenye nia mbili na asiye na msimamo katika mwenendo wake wote,

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

⁸asidhani ya kwamba atapata chochote kile kutoka kwa Bwana.

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

⁹Ndugu aliye maskini anapaswa kufurahi wakati Mungu anapomkweza,

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

¹⁰naye tajiri anapaswa kufurahi anaposhushwa na Mungu. Maana tajiri atatoweka kama ua la porini.

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.

¹¹Jua huchomoza na kwa joto lake kali hukausha mimea, nayo maua yake huanguka, na uzuri wake wote huharibika. Vivyo hivyo, tajiri ataangamizwa katika shughuli zake.

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.

¹²Heri mtu anayebaki mwaminifu katika majaribu, kwani akisha stahimili atapewa tuzo la uzima ambalo Mungu aliwaahidia wale wanaompenda.

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:

¹³Kama mtu akijaribiwa, asiseme: "Ninajaribiwa na Mungu." Maana Mungu hawezi kujaribiwa na uovu, wala yeye hamjaribu mtu yeyote.

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

¹⁴Lakini mtu hujaribiwa anapovutwa na kunaswa na tamaa zake mbaya.

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

¹⁵Tamaa ikiiva huzaa dhambi; nayo dhambi ikikomaa huzaa kifo.

¹⁶Do not err, my beloved brethren.

¹⁶Ndugu zangu wapenzi, msidanganyike!

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.

¹⁷Kila kipaji chema na kila zawadi kamilifu hutoka mbinguni; hutoka kwa Baba, Muumba wa mianga, ambaye habadiliki wala hana alama yoyote ya ugeugeu.

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

¹⁸Kwa kupenda kwake mwenyewe alituzaa kwa neno lake la ukweli, ili tuwe namna ya matunda ya kwanza miongoni mwa viumbe vyake.

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

¹⁹Ndugu zangu wapenzi, kumbukeni jambo hili! Kila mtu na awe mwepesi wa kusikia lakini asiwe mwepesi wa kusema wala mwepesi wa kukasirika.

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

²⁰Mwenye hasira hawezi kutimiza matakwa ya Mungu yaliyo ya haki.

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

²¹Kwa hiyo, tupilieni mbali mwenendo mchafu na tabia zote mbovu; jiwekeni chini ya Mungu na kupokea ule ujumbe uliopandwa mioyoni mwenu, ambao waweza kuziokoa nafsi zenu.

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

²²Msijidanganye wenyewe kwa kusikiliza tu neno lake, bali litekelezeni kwa vitendo.

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:

²³Yeyote anayesikiliza hilo neno lakini halitekelezi, huyo ni kama mtu anayejiangalia sura yake mwenyewe katika kioo.

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

²⁴Hujiangalia mwenyewe, kisha huenda zake, na mara husahau jinsi alivyo.

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.

²⁵Lakini mtu anayeangalia kwa makini sheria kamilifu ambayo huwapa watu uhuru, mtu anayeendelea kuizingatia, na si kuisikia tu na kuisahau baadaye, bali anaitekeleza, mtu huyo atabarikiwa katika kila kitu anachofanya.

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.

²⁶Kama mtu akijiona kuwa ni mtu mwenye dini, lakini hawezi kuutawala ulimi wake, dini yake haifai kitu, na anajidanganya mwenyewe.

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.

²⁷Dini iliyo safi na isiyo na hitilafu mbele ya Mungu Baba ni hii: Kuwasaidia yatima na wajane katika shida zao, na kujilinda mwenyewe usichafuliwe na ulimwengu huu.