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

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

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

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

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

³knowing that the proving of your faith works endurance.

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

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

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

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:

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

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;

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

⁷for let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord;

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

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

⁹Madal vend kiidelgu oma kõrgusest,

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

¹³Let no man, being tempted, say, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted by evil things, and himself tempts no one.

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

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

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

¹⁵then lust, having conceived, gives birth to sin; but sin fully completed brings forth death.

¹⁶Ärge eksige, mu armsad vennad!

¹⁶Do not err, my beloved brethren.

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

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.

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

¹⁸According to his own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we should be a certain first-fruits of *his* creatures.

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

¹⁹So that, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

²⁰Sest mehe viha ei soeta õigust Jumala ees.

²⁰for man's wrath does not work God's righteousness.

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

²¹Wherefore, laying aside all filthiness and abounding of wickedness, accept with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

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

²²But be ye doers of [the] word and not hearers only, beguiling yourselves.

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

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:

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

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

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

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.

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

²⁶If any one think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, this man's religion is vain.

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

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.