¹James, of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ a servant, to the Twelve Tribes who are in the dispersion: Hail!

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

²All joy count [it], my brethren, when ye may fall into temptations manifold;

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

³knowing that the proof of your faith doth work endurance,

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

⁴and let the endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire — in nothing lacking;

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

⁵and if any of you do lack wisdom, let him ask from God, who is giving to all liberally, and not reproaching, and it shall be given to him;

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

⁶and let him ask in faith, nothing doubting, for he who is doubting hath been like a wave of the sea, driven by 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 suppose that he shall receive anything from the Lord —

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

⁸a two-souled man [is] unstable in all his ways.

⁸asidhani ya kwamba atapata chochote kile kutoka kwa Bwana.

⁹And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation,

⁹Ndugu aliye maskini anapaswa kufurahi wakati Mungu anapomkweza,

¹⁰and the rich in his becoming low, because as a flower of grass he shall pass away;

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

¹¹for the sun did rise with the burning heat, and did wither the grass, and the flower of it fell, and the grace of its appearance did perish, so also the rich in his way shall fade away!

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.

¹²Happy the man who doth endure temptation, because, becoming approved, he shall receive the crown of the life, which the Lord did promise to those loving Him.

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

¹³Let no one say, being tempted — `From God I am tempted,` for God is not tempted of evil, and Himself doth tempt no one,

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

¹⁴and each one is tempted, by his own desires being led away and enticed,

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

¹⁵afterward the desire having conceived, doth give birth to sin, and the sin having been perfected, doth bring forth death.

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

¹⁶Be not led astray, my brethren beloved;

¹⁶Ndugu zangu wapenzi, msidanganyike!

¹⁷every good giving, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no variation, or 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.

¹⁸having counselled, He did beget us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit of His creatures.

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

¹⁹So then, my brethren beloved, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

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 a man the righteousness of God doth not work;

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

²¹wherefore having put aside all filthiness and superabundance of evil, in meekness be receiving the engrafted word, that 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.

²²and become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,

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

²³because, if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one hath been like to a man viewing his natural face in a mirror,

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

²⁴for he did view himself, and hath gone away, and immediately he did forget of what kind he was;

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

²⁵and he who did look into the perfect law — that of liberty, and did continue there, this one — not a forgetful hearer becoming, but a doer of work — this one shall be happy in his doing.

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 one doth think to be religious among you, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, of this one vain [is] the religion;

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

²⁷religion pure and undefiled with the God and Father is this, to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation — unspotted to keep himself 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.