¹James, bondman of God and of [the] Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which [are] in the dispersion, greeting.

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

²Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into various temptations,

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

³knowing that the proving of your faith works endurance.

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

⁴But let endurance have [its] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

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

⁵But if any one of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all freely and reproaches not, 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.

⁶but let him ask in faith, nothing doubting. For he that doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed about;

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 anything from the Lord;

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

⁸[he is] a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

⁸asidhani ya kwamba atapata chochote kile kutoka kwa Bwana.

⁹But let the brother of low degree glory in his elevation,

⁹Ndugu aliye maskini anapaswa kufurahi wakati Mungu anapomkweza,

¹⁰and the rich in his humiliation, because as [the] grass's flower he will pass away.

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

¹¹For the sun has risen with its burning heat, and has withered the grass, and its flower has fallen, and the comeliness of its look has perished: thus the rich also shall wither in his goings.

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 who endures temptation; for, having been proved, he shall receive the crown of life, which He has 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, being tempted, say, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted by evil things, and himself tempts no one.

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

¹⁴But every one is tempted, drawn away, and enticed by his own lust;

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

¹⁵then lust, having conceived, gives birth to sin; but sin fully completed brings 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 comes down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation nor 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.

¹⁸According to his own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we should be a certain first-fruits 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 that, 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 man's wrath does not work God's righteousness.

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

²¹Wherefore, laying aside all filthiness and abounding of wickedness, accept with meekness the implanted 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, beguiling yourselves.

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

²³For if any man be a hearer of [the] word and not a doer, *he* is like to a man considering his natural face in a mirror:

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

²⁴for he has considered himself and is gone away, and straightway he has forgotten what he was like.

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

²⁵But *he* that fixes his view on [the] perfect law, that of liberty, and abides in [it], being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of [the] work, *he* shall be blessed 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 think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his 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 and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, to keep oneself 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.