Jakob 1
1 Angraeng Jesu Kri hoi Sithaw ih tamna, Jakob mah, kalah prae ah ampraek phang acaeng hatlai hnettonawk khaeah: ban kang sin o.
[I], James, am a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. [I am writing this letter] to [all] the Jewish people [who trust in Christ] (OR, to all God’s people) who are scattered throughout the world. [I send my] greetings to [you all].
2 Nawkamyanawk, congca pacuekhaih thungah nam timh o naah, anghoehaih ah poek oh;
My fellow believers, rejoice greatly, [even] when you experience various kinds of difficulties/troubles.
3 na tang o haih dan tanoekhaih mah palungsawkhaih tacawtsak, tito panoek oh.
[God sometimes allows you to experience difficulties in order to] test whether or not you will continue to trust [him. Whenever that happens, you need to] realize more and more that [if you continue to trust him], you will be able to bravely/patiently endure difficulties.
4 Toe hmuen boih ah na koep o moe, angaihaih na tawnh o han ai ah, palungsawkhaih atho to amtueng nasoe.
Keep on enduring difficulties [bravely/patiently by trusting God more and more firmly] [PRS], in order that you may become all that he intends you to be [DOU] (OR, [spiritually] mature and complete), not lacking (any [good quality/anything you need to conduct your lives as God wants you to]).
5 Nangcae thung ih mi kawbaktih mah doeh palunghahaih angaih nahaeloe, paawthaih tawn ai ah kaminawk boih han paekkung, Sithaw khaeah hni o nasoe, na hnik o pongah Anih mah na zoeh mak ai, to tiah na hnik o nahaeloe na paek o tih.
If anyone of you does not know how to act wisely [in order to endure difficulties/trials well], he should ask God [to show him what he should do, because] God wholeheartedly/gladly helps all people [who ask] and does not scold [anyone for asking. Those who ask], God will give them wisdom to know [what they should do].
6 Toe nihcae mah palunghaenghaih tawn ai ah, tanghaih hoiah hni o nasoe. Palunghaenghaih tawn kami loe takhi mah ahnuk ahma hmuh ih tuipui ih tuiphu baktiah ni oh.
But [when you] ask [God], you should firmly trust him. You should not doubt [that he wants to help you always], because people who keep doubting God are [unstable/changeable] [SIM] like a wave of the sea that is blown back and forth by the wind {that goes back and forth when the wind blows} [DOU, SIM].
7 To baktih kami loe Angraeng khae hoi tih hmuen doeh hnuk han poek hmah nasoe;
Indeed, people [who doubt] should not think that the Lord [God] will do anything [that they request him to do],
8 poekhaih kangphae kami loe a caehhaih loklam boih ah kacakah angdoe thai ai kami ah oh.
[because they are] people who cannot decide [whether they will commit themselves to God, and they are] unstable/undecided in everything that they do.
9 Kami tlim ah khosah nawkamya loe kasangah tapom tahang boeh pongah anghoe nasoe.
Believers who are poor should be happy [that God] considers them very valuable (OR, has exalted them [spiritually]) [MTY].
10 Toe angraeng kami loe pakhrak tathuk boeh: anih loe apawk baktiah ni anghma tih.
And [believers] who are rich should be happy [that] they have humbled themselves [in order to trust in Jesus Christ] (OR, but rich people [can only] take pride [in the fact that God] will humble them [when he judges everyone] [IRO]), because they [and their riches] [MTY] will pass away, just like wild flowers [wither] [SIM].
11 Phroh loe ni tacawt moe, bet naah azaem, apawk to angmuenh moe, a krang hoihhaih doeh anghmat: to baktih toengah long angraeng kami doeh a caehhaih loklamnawk ah anghma toeng tih.
When the sun rises, the scorching hot wind dries plants, and their flowers fall and are no longer beautiful. Similarly, rich people will die [MET] while they are busy working, [leaving behind their riches].
12 Pacuekhaih pauep thaih kami loe tahamhoih: Angraeng palung kaminawk khaeah lokkamhaih paek baktih toengah, anih loe hinghaih lumuek to hnu tih.
[God] is pleased with people who bravely/patiently endure difficulties. And when, [by bravely enduring difficulties], they have proved [that they truly trust him], he will give them [eternal] life. That is the reward [MET] that he has promised to give to those who love him.
13 Mi mah doeh pacuekhaih tong naah, Kai loe Sithaw mah ang pacuek, tiah thui hmah nasoe: Sithaw loe kasae pacaenghaih hoiah kami to pacuek thai ai, Anih mah loe mi kawbaktih doeh pacuek vai ai.
If people are tempted to do something that is evil, they should not think that it is God who is tempting them, because [God is totally/completely good]. He never tempts anyone [to do what is evil], nor can he ever be tempted to [do anything] evil.
14 Toe mi kawbaktih doeh a taksa koehhaih hoiah zoek moe, zaeh ving naah ni, zae pacuekhaih thungah amtimh.
But people strongly desire to do evil [PRS] things, [and as a result] they are tempted by those desires {those desires stimulate them} to do something evil [PRS, DOU].
15 Taksa koehhaih loe zokpom moe, zaehaih to tapen: zaehaih qoeng khuek naah duekhaih to tapen.
Then, [because] they have desired [MET] to do evil [PRS] things, they begin to [MET] do [PRS] them. And when they have become ones who [habitually] do what is evil [MET], [if they do not turn away from their sinful behavior], they will be separated from God forever.
16 Kang palung o ih nawkayanawk, aling thaih koi kami ah om o hmah.
My fellow believers whom I love, stop deceiving yourselves, [thinking that God does evil things].
17 Kahoih tangqum boih hoi coek koi kaom ai tangqum boih loe ranui bang hoiah ni angzoh, aanghaih boih sahkung Ampa khae hoiah ni angzoh, anih loe amkhrai thai ai, tahlip baktiah doeh anghma ving thai ai.
[The truth is that God], our heavenly Father [MTY], does only good [DOU] things [for us, in order to help us become] all that he intends us to be. He is not like all the things [in the sky] that he created to give light, [because they] change; [that is, they do not shine the same all the time]. But God never changes. [He is always good].
18 A sak ih hmuennawk thungah athai tangsuek thingthai baktiah a oh o thai hanah, a koehhaih baktiah loktang lok hoiah ni aicae hae ang tapenh.
[And because] he wanted [to help us], he gave us [spiritual] life as a result of our [trusting in his] true message. So now we have become the first ones of [all the people] [MET] that he created [to] ([be totally dedicated to/completely belong to]) [him].
19 To pongah, kang palung o ih nawkamyanawk, kami boih mah lok tahngaihaih bangah rang o nasoe loe, lokthuihaih bangah amzai o nasoe.
My fellow believers whom I love, you know (OR, I want you to now) that every one of you should be eager to pay attention to [God’s true message]. Don’t speak [without thinking], nor get angry easily,
20 Kami palungphuihaih mah Sithaw toenghaih to tacawtsak ai.
because when any one [of you gets] angry, you will not be doing the righteous things that God [wants] you [to do].
21 To pongah panuet thok hmuennawk hoi kasae hmuen poekhaihnawk boih to toengh oh loe, nangcae ih muithla pahlong thaih, a thungah tling ih lok to kanaem palungthin hoiah talawk oh.
So stop doing all kinds of evil [DOU] things, and humbly obey (OR, submit to) the message that [God] put in your (inner beings/hearts), [because] he is able to save you [SYN] [if you accept his message].
22 Thuih ih lok tahngai kami khue na ai ah, thuih ih lok baktiah sah kami ah om oh, to tih ai nahaeloe, nangmah hoi nangmah angling kami ah ni na om o tih.
Do [what God commands in] his message. Do not only listen [to it, because people who only listen to it and do not obey it] are wrong when they think [that God will save them].
23 Lok to a thaih, toe sah ai kami loe, hmaidan pongah angmah ih krang khen kami baktiah ni oh:
Some people hear God’s message but do not do [what it says] [MET]. They are like someone who looks at his face in a mirror [SIM].
24 angmah hoi angmah to angkhet moe, a caeh ving pacoengah, anih loe kawbaktih kami maw, tito panoek ai pahnet roep kami baktiah ni oh.
Although he looks at himself, he goes away [from the mirror] and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 Toe coek koi kaom ai loihhaih kaalok khen kami loe, thuih ih lok pahnet ving kami baktih na ai, thuih ih lok baktiah sah kami ah oh, to baktih kami loe a tok sakhaih pongah tahamhoihaih hnu tih.
But other people look closely at [God’s] message, which is perfect and which sets people free [to voluntarily do what God wants them to do]. And if they continue [to examine God’s message] and do not just hear it and then forget it, but do [what God tells them to do], God will bless them because of what they do.
26 Nangcae thung ih kawbaktih kami doeh Sithaw zom parai baktiah amtueng, toe lokthuih angsum ai kami loe, angmah hoi angmah angling kami ah ni oh, to kami ih bokhaih loe azom pui ni.
Some people think that they worship God in the right way, but they habitually say evil things [MTY]. Those people are wrong in thinking [SYN] [that they worship God rightly]. The fact is [that they] worship God (in vain/uselessly).
27 Raihaih tongh naqah hoi lamhmainawk khetzawnhaih, long nui hmuenmae pongah amhnong ai ah khosakhaih loe, Sithaw hoi Ampa hmaa ah kaciim bokhaih ah oh.
[One of the things that God has told us to do] is to take care of orphans and widows who suffer hardship. [Those who do that and] who do not think or act immorally like those who do not obey God [MTY] truly [DOU] worship God, [who is our] Father, and God approves of them.
