1 Jakobus, 'n dienskneg van God en die Here Jesus Christus, aan die twaalf stamme wat in die verstrooiing is: Groete!

2 Ag dit louter vreugde, my broeders, wanneer julle in allerhande versoekinge val,

3 omdat julle weet dat die beproewing van julle geloof lydsaamheid bewerk.

4 Maar die lydsaamheid moet tot volle verwerkliking kom, sodat julle volmaak en sonder gebrek kan wees en in niks kortkom nie.

5 En as iemand van julle wysheid kortkom, laat hom dit van God bid, wat aan almal eenvoudig gee sonder om te verwyt, en dit sal aan hom gegee word.

6 Maar hy moet in die geloof bid, sonder om te twyfel; want hy wat twyfel, is soos 'n golf van die see wat deur die wind gedrywe en voortgesweep word.

7 Want die mens moenie dink dat hy iets van die Here sal ontvang nie --

8 so 'n dubbelhartige man, onbestendig in al sy weë.

9 Maar laat die broeder wat gering is, roem in sy hoogheid,

10 en die ryke in sy geringheid, want soos 'n blom van die gras sal hy verbygaan.

11 Want die son gaan op met sy hitte en laat die gras verdor, en sy blom val af, en die sierlikheid van sy gedaante vergaan; so sal die ryke ook in sy weë verwelk.

12 Salig is die man wat versoeking verdra, want as hy die toets deurstaan het, sal hy die kroon van die lewe ontvang wat die Here beloof het aan die wat Hom liefhet.

13 Laat niemand, as hy in versoeking kom, sê: Ek word deur God versoek nie. Want God kan deur die kwaad nie versoek word nie, en self versoek Hy niemand nie.

14 Maar elkeen word versoek as hy deur sy eie begeerlikheid weggesleep en verlok word.

15 Daarna, as die begeerlikheid ontvang het, baar dit sonde; en as die sonde tot volle ontwikkeling gekom het, bring dit die dood voort.

16 Moenie dwaal nie, my geliefde broeders.

17 Elke goeie gif en elke volmaakte gawe daal van bo af neer, van die Vader van die ligte, by wie daar geen verandering of skaduwee van omkering is nie.

18 Volgens sy wil het Hy ons voortgebring deur die woord van die waarheid, sodat ons as eerstelinge van sy skepsele kan wees.

19 So dan, my geliefde broeders, elke mens moet gou wees om te hoor, stadig om te praat, stadig om toornig te word.

20 Want die toorn van 'n man bewerk nie die geregtigheid voor God nie.

21 Daarom, doen afstand van alle vuiligheid en oorvloed van boosheid, en ontvang met sagmoedigheid die ingeplante woord, wat in staat is om julle siele te red.

22 En word daders van die woord en nie net hoorders wat julleself bedrieg nie.

23 Want as iemand 'n hoorder van die woord is en nie 'n dader nie, die is soos 'n man wat sy natuurlike gesig in 'n spieël sien;

24 want hy sien homself en gaan weg en vergeet dadelik hoe hy gelyk het.

25 Maar hy wat diep insien in die volmaakte wet van die vryheid en daarby bly, hy sal, omdat hy nie 'n vergeetagtige hoorder is nie, maar 'n dader van die werk, gelukkig wees in wat hy doen.

26 As iemand onder julle meen dat hy godsdienstig is en sy tong nie in toom hou nie, maar sy hart mislei, die godsdiens van hierdie man is tevergeefs.

27 Reine en onbesmette godsdiens voor God en die Vader is d¡t: om wese en weduwees in hulle verdrukking te besoek en jouself vlekkeloos te bewaar van die wêreld.

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

2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; 3 knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. 4 And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.

5 But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; 8 a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways.

9 But let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate: 10 and the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. 11 For the sun ariseth with the scorching wind, and 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 goings.

12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord 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, and he himself tempteth no man: 14 but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death. 16 Be not deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

19 Ye know this, my beloved brethren. But 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 putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves. 23 For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: 24 for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing. 26 If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this man’s religion is vain. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.