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].
Surat ini berasal dari Yakobus, hamba dari Allah dan Tuhan Yesus Kristus. Surat ini dikirim kepada dua belas suku Israel yang tersebar di luar negeri. Salam hangat untuk kalian!
2 My fellow believers, rejoice greatly, [even] when you experience various kinds of difficulties/troubles.
Teman-temanku, pilihlah untuk tetap gembira ketika segala macam masalah menghampirimu,
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.
karena kalian tahu bahwa daya tahan datang dari menghadapi tantangan terhadap kepercayaan kalian kepada Allah.
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]).
Biarlah daya tahan kalian masing-masing menjadi sekuat mungkin, agar kamu benar-benar dewasa, tidak kekurangan apapun.
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].
Jika ada di antara kalian yang membutuhkan hikmat, mintalah kepada Allah, yang memberi dengan murah hati kepada semua orang dengan melimpah.
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].
Tetapi ketika kalian memintanya, ingatlah untuk percaya kepada Allah — jangan ragu. Seseorang yang ragu adalah seperti ombak laut yang terhempas, diombang-ambingkan dan didorong oleh angin.
7 Indeed, people [who doubt] should not think that the Lord [God] will do anything [that they request him to do],
Tidak ada orang seperti itu boleh berpikir bahwa mereka akan mendapatkan sesuatu dari Tuhan —
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.
pikiran mereka selalu berubah-ubah, dan mereka selalu bimbang dalam setiap tindakan mereka.
9 Believers who are poor should be happy [that God] considers them very valuable (OR, has exalted them [spiritually]) [MTY].
Orang percaya yang terlahir miskin harus bangga dengan posisi tinggi yang sudah mereka dapat,
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].
sementara orang kaya harus “bangga” dalam posisi rendah yang mereka miliki sekarang, karena mereka akan memudar seperti bunga di ladang.
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].
Ketika matahari terbit bersama dengan angin kencang dan menghanguskan rumput, bunga-bunga jatuh dan keindahan mereka menjadi rusak. Semua yang dicapai oleh orang kaya akan memudar dengan cara yang sama.
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.
Berbahagialah siapa pun yang dengan sabar menanggung godaan, karena ketika mereka sudah membuktikan bahwa mereka dapat dipercaya, mereka akan menerima mahkota kehidupan yang Allah janjikan kepada mereka yang mengasihi-Nya.
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.
Tak seorang pun boleh berkata ketika mereka dicobai, “Saya sedang dicobai oleh Allah.” Karena Allah tidak dicobai oleh kejahatan, Dia juga tidak mencobai siapa pun.
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].
Godaan datang dari keinginan jahat kita sendiri yang menyesatkan dan menjebak kita.
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.
Keinginan seperti itu menuntun kita kepada perbuatan dosa, dan dosa, jika sudah berkembang sempurna, menyebabkan kematian.
16 My fellow believers whom I love, stop deceiving yourselves, [thinking that God does evil things].
Teman-temanku terkasih, jangan tertipu.
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].
Semua yang baik, setiap pemberian yang sempurna, berasal dari atas, dan turun dari Bapa yang membuat terang-terang surga. Tidak seperti mereka, Dia tidak berubah — Dia tidak bimbang atau menyebabkan bayangan.
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].
Dia memilih untuk memberi kita hidup baru melalui firman kebenaran, sehingga dari semua ciptaan-Nya kita menjadi sangat istimewa bagi-Nya.
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,
Ingatlah ini, teman-teman terkasih: setiap orang harus cepat mendengarkan tetapi lambat berbicara, dan lambat marah,
20 because when any one [of you gets] angry, you will not be doing the righteous things that God [wants] you [to do].
karena kemarahan manusia tidak mencerminkan karakter Allah yang baik.
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].
Jadi singkirkan semua yang kotor dan jahat. Terimalah dengan rendah hati Firman yang sudah ditanamkan di dalam diri kita masing-masing — karena inilah yang dapat menyelamatkan kita.
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].
Tetapi lakukan Firman itu — jangan hanya mendengarkannya dan menipu diri kita sendiri.
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].
Jika kita hanya mendengarkan Firman itu, dan tidak melakukannya, perbuatan itu sama seperti menatap wajah kita sendiri pada cermin.
24 Although he looks at himself, he goes away [from the mirror] and immediately forgets what he looks like.
Kita melihat diri kita sendiri, tetapi kemudian kita pergi, dan segera lupa seperti apa penampilan kita.
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.
Tetapi jika kalian melihat pada hukum kebebasan yang sempurna dan mengikutinya, bukan hanya sebagai pendengar dan kemudian lupa, tetapi sebagai pelakunya — maka kalian akan diberkati dalam segala perbuatan kalian.
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).
Jika kalian berpikir bahwa kalian sudah hidup sesuai dengan peraturan agama, tetapi tidak memiliki kendali atas ucapan kalian, kalian menipu diri sendiri — agama kalian tidak ada gunanya.
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.
Di mata Allah dan Bapa kita, agama yang murni dan asli adalah mengunjungi yatim piatu dan janda yang mengalami penderitaan, dan menjaga diri agar tidak dipengaruhi oleh dunia.
