James 1
1 [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].
ιακωβοσ θεου και κυριου ιησου χριστου δουλοσ ταισ δωδεκα φυλαισ ταισ εν τη διασπορα χαιρειν
2 My fellow believers, rejoice greatly, [even] when you experience various kinds of difficulties/troubles.
πασαν χαραν ηγησασθε αδελφοι μου οταν πειρασμοισ περιπεσητε ποικιλοισ
3 [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.
γινωσκοντεσ οτι το δοκιμιον υμων τησ πιστεωσ κατεργαζεται υπομονην
4 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]).
η δε υπομονη εργον τελειον εχετω ινα ητε τελειοι και ολοκληροι εν μηδενι λειπομενοι
5 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].
ει δε τισ υμων λειπεται σοφιασ αιτειτω παρα του διδοντοσ θεου πασιν απλωσ και ουκ ονειδιζοντοσ και δοθησεται αυτω
6 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].
αιτειτω δε εν πιστει μηδεν διακρινομενοσ ο γαρ διακρινομενοσ εοικεν κλυδωνι θαλασσησ ανεμιζομενω και ριπιζομενω
7 Indeed, people [who doubt] should not think that the Lord [God] will do anything [that they request him to do],
μη γαρ οιεσθω ο ανθρωποσ εκεινοσ οτι ληψεται τι παρα του κυριου
8 [because they are] people who cannot decide [whether they will commit themselves to God, and they are] unstable/undecided in everything that they do.
ανηρ διψυχοσ ακαταστατοσ εν πασαισ ταισ οδοισ αυτου
9 Believers who are poor should be happy [that God] considers them very valuable (OR, has exalted them [spiritually]) [MTY].
καυχασθω δε ο αδελφοσ ο ταπεινοσ εν τω υψει αυτου
10 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].
ο δε πλουσιοσ εν τη ταπεινωσει αυτου οτι ωσ ανθοσ χορτου παρελευσεται
11 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].
ανετειλεν γαρ ο ηλιοσ συν τω καυσωνι και εξηρανεν τον χορτον και το ανθοσ αυτου εξεπεσεν και η ευπρεπεια του προσωπου αυτου απωλετο ουτωσ και ο πλουσιοσ εν ταισ πορειαισ αυτου μαρανθησεται
12 [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.
μακαριοσ ανηρ οσ υπομενει πειρασμον οτι δοκιμοσ γενομενοσ ληψεται τον στεφανον τησ ζωησ ον επηγγειλατο ο κυριοσ τοισ αγαπωσιν αυτον
13 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.
μηδεισ πειραζομενοσ λεγετω οτι απο θεου πειραζομαι ο γαρ θεοσ απειραστοσ εστιν κακων πειραζει δε αυτοσ ουδενα
14 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].
εκαστοσ δε πειραζεται υπο τησ ιδιασ επιθυμιασ εξελκομενοσ και δελεαζομενοσ
15 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.
ειτα η επιθυμια συλλαβουσα τικτει αμαρτιαν η δε αμαρτια αποτελεσθεισα αποκυει θανατον
16 My fellow believers whom I love, stop deceiving yourselves, [thinking that God does evil things].
μη πλανασθε αδελφοι μου αγαπητοι
17 [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].
πασα δοσισ αγαθη και παν δωρημα τελειον ανωθεν εστιν καταβαινον απο του πατροσ των φωτων παρ ω ουκ ενι παραλλαγη η τροπησ αποσκιασμα
18 [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].
βουληθεισ απεκυησεν ημασ λογω αληθειασ εισ το ειναι ημασ απαρχην τινα των αυτου κτισματων
19 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,
ωστε αδελφοι μου αγαπητοι εστω πασ ανθρωποσ ταχυσ εισ το ακουσαι βραδυσ εισ το λαλησαι βραδυσ εισ οργην
20 because when any one [of you gets] angry, you will not be doing the righteous things that God [wants] you [to do].
οργη γαρ ανδροσ δικαιοσυνην θεου ου κατεργαζεται
21 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].
διο αποθεμενοι πασαν ρυπαριαν και περισσειαν κακιασ εν πραυτητι δεξασθε τον εμφυτον λογον τον δυναμενον σωσαι τασ ψυχασ υμων
22 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].
γινεσθε δε ποιηται λογου και μη μονον ακροαται παραλογιζομενοι εαυτουσ
23 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].
οτι ει τισ ακροατησ λογου εστιν και ου ποιητησ ουτοσ εοικεν ανδρι κατανοουντι το προσωπον τησ γενεσεωσ αυτου εν εσοπτρω
24 Although he looks at himself, he goes away [from the mirror] and immediately forgets what he looks like.
κατενοησεν γαρ εαυτον και απεληλυθεν και ευθεωσ επελαθετο οποιοσ ην
25 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.
ο δε παρακυψασ εισ νομον τελειον τον τησ ελευθεριασ και παραμεινασ ουτοσ ουκ ακροατησ επιλησμονησ γενομενοσ αλλα ποιητησ εργου ουτοσ μακαριοσ εν τη ποιησει αυτου εσται
26 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).
ει τισ δοκει θρησκοσ ειναι εν υμιν μη χαλιναγωγων γλωσσαν αυτου αλλα απατων καρδιαν αυτου τουτου ματαιοσ η θρησκεια
27 [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.
θρησκεια καθαρα και αμιαντοσ παρα θεω και πατρι αυτη εστιν επισκεπτεσθαι ορφανουσ και χηρασ εν τη θλιψει αυτων ασπιλον εαυτον τηρειν απο του κοσμου
