Jakoobus, Gott en daem Herr Jesus Christus sien Sklow, aun dee twalw Stam dee wiet en breet festreit sent, en Gruss.

Raeakjent daut aus Freid, miene Breeda, wan jie enn feschiedne Proow enenn faule,

dan jie weete daut dee Proow doato es daut jie doaderch bestone kjenne.

Lot jun Staunthauft en follet Woakj ha, soo daut jie kjenne Follkome en Follstendich senne, daut junt daut aun nusscht faelt.

Wan irjent waem daut aun Weisheit faelt, dan lot am Gott doano froage, dan hee jeft daut aulem oone waut trig to hoole, oda daut hee am waut faeaschmiete woat, en am woat daut jejaeft woare.

Oba lot am enn Gloowe froage, en nich twiewle: dan waea twiewelt es soo aus ne Wal em Maea, daut fonn daem Wint bewaeajt, en han en haea jedraewe woat.

Lot soon Maun nich denke daut hee irjent waut fom Herr kjriehe woat.

Soon Maun es wankelmietich, onnbestendich enn aul siene Waeaj.

Oba lot en deemietja Brooda sikj puche enn sien huage Staunt,

10 en dee Rikja enn sien laeaja Staunt, dan soo aus dee Bloom em Graus woat hee feschwinje.

11 Dan de Sonn kjeem opp met en heeta Wint en fedreajd daut Graus, en dee Bloom felt auf, en daut schmocket es fedorwe. Soo woat uk dee rikje Maun enn siene Waeaj feschwinje.

12 Jesaeajent es dee Maun dee uthelt wan am jeprooft woat, dan wan hee bewoat es, woat hee ne Laewskroon kjriehe, dee de Herr daen fesproake haft dee am leef ha.

13 Wan en Mensch fesocht woat, saul hee nich saje daut Gott am feseakjt. Dan Gott kaun nich met Beeset fesocht woare, en hee feseakjt uk kjeenem.

14 Oba en jieda eena woat fesocht derch siene eajne Losst, enn daem daut am wajch jelockt en wajch jetrokke woat.

15 En dan wan dee Losst sikj jewartelt haft, brinjt dee de Sind, en wan dee Sind follkome es, brinjt dee daen Doot.

16 Lot junt nich feleide, miene leefste Breeda!

17 Jiede goode en follkomne Gow kjemt fonn Bowe, fonn daem Licht Foda, bie waem doa kjeene Staed es to endre, oda Schaute Wakjsel.

18 Derch sien eajnet Faeanaeme haft hee onns derch daut Woarheits Wuat tom Laewe jebrocht, daut wie daut easchte Frucht sulle senne fonn daut waut hee jeschaufe haft.

19 Doaromm, miene leeftse Breeda, lot en jieda Mensch schwind senne tom heare, langsam tom raede, langsam Doll to senne.

20 Dan Menschewutt deit Gott siene Jerajchtichkjeit nich wiede stale.

21 Doaromm lajcht aulet Onnreinet auf, en daut grootet Beeset, en naemt enn Saunftmoot daut ennjeplauntet Wuat aun daut june Seele rade kaun.

22 Oba jie sele uk soone senne dee daut Wuat doone, en nich bloos heare, wiel dan schmaea jie junt selfst aun.

23 Dan wan jeemaunt daut Wuat heat, en daut oba nich deit, dan es hee soo aus en Maun dee sien natearlichet Jesecht enn en Speajel sit.

24 Dan hee bekjikjt sikj selfst en jeit wajch en fejat platslich wooet am sach.

25 Waea oba enn daut follkomne Jesats de Frieheit ennen kjikjt, en doabenne blift, en es nich en fejaetsaume Heara, oba deit wautet sajcht, dee woat jesaeajent senne enn aules waut hee deit.

26 Wan waea meent daut hee relijeesisch es, oba helt siene Tung nich em Toom, schmaeat sikj selfst aun, en sien relijeesisch senne es fejaefs.

27 Reine en ajchte Relijoon fer Gott daem Foda es dit: dee Weise en Waetfruehes enn aea Aelend beseakje, en sikj fonne Welt rein hoole.

James,(A) a servant of God(B) and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes(C) scattered(D) among the nations:

Greetings.(E)

Trials and Temptations

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds,(F) because you know that the testing of your faith(G) produces perseverance.(H) Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature(I) and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,(J) who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.(K) But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt,(L) because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded(M) and unstable(N) in all they do.

Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.(O) 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.(P) 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat(Q) and withers(R) the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed.(S) In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial(T) because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life(U) that the Lord has promised to those who love him.(V)

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own(W) evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;(X) and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.(Y)

16 Don’t be deceived,(Z) my dear brothers and sisters.(AA) 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above,(AB) coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,(AC) who does not change(AD) like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth(AE) through the word of truth,(AF) that we might be a kind of firstfruits(AG) of all he created.

Listening and Doing

19 My dear brothers and sisters,(AH) take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak(AI) and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger(AJ) does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of(AK) all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you,(AL) which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.(AM) 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom,(AN) and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.(AO)

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues(AP) deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after(AQ) orphans and widows(AR) in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.(AS)

Footnotes

  1. James 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verses 16 and 19; and in 2:1, 5, 14; 3:10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19.

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

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

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

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

If 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.

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

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

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

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

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

11 For 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.

12 Blessed 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.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

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

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

16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

17 Every 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.

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

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

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

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

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

23 For 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:

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

25 But 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.

26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

27 Pure 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.