< James 1 >
1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: to the twelve tribes who are scattered over the world. All good wishes.
Iacobus Dei et Domini nostri Iesu Christi servus duodecim tribubus quae sunt in dispersione salutem
2 Reckon it nothing but joy, my brethren, whenever you find yourselves hedged in by various trials.
omne gaudium existimate fratres mei cum in temptationibus variis incideritis
3 Be assured that the testing of your faith leads to power of endurance.
scientes quod probatio fidei vestrae patientiam operatur
4 Only let endurance have perfect results so that you may become perfect and complete, deficient in nothing.
patientia autem opus perfectum habeat ut sitis perfecti et integri in nullo deficientes
5 And if any one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives with open hand to all men, and without upbraiding; and it will be given him.
si quis autem vestrum indiget sapientiam postulet a Deo qui dat omnibus affluenter et non inproperat et dabitur ei
6 But let him ask in faith and have no doubts; for he who has doubts is like the surge of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed into spray.
postulet autem in fide nihil haesitans qui enim haesitat similis est fluctui maris qui a vento movetur et circumfertur
7 A person of that sort must not expect to receive anything from the Lord--
non ergo aestimet homo ille quod accipiat aliquid a Domino
8 such a one is a man of two minds, undecided in every step he takes.
vir duplex animo inconstans in omnibus viis suis
9 Let a brother in humble life rejoice when raised to a higher position;
glorietur autem frater humilis in exaltatione sua
10 but a rich man should rejoice in being brought low, for like flowers among the herbage rich men will pass away.
dives autem in humilitate sua quoniam sicut flos faeni transibit
11 The sun rises with his scorching heat and dries up the herbage, so that its flowers drop off and the beauty of its appearance perishes, and in the same way rich men with all their prosperity will fade away.
exortus est enim sol cum ardore et arefecit faenum et flos eius decidit et decor vultus eius deperiit ita et dives in itineribus suis marcescet
12 Blessed is he who patiently endures trials; for when he has stood the test, he will gain the victor's crown--even the crown of Life--which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
beatus vir qui suffert temptationem quia cum probatus fuerit accipiet coronam vitae quam repromisit Deus diligentibus se
13 Let no one say when passing through trial, "My temptation is from God;" for God is incapable of being tempted to do evil, and He Himself tempts no one.
nemo cum temptatur dicat quoniam a Deo temptor Deus enim intemptator malorum est ipse autem neminem temptat
14 But when a man is tempted, it is his own passions that carry him away and serve as a bait.
unusquisque vero temptatur a concupiscentia sua abstractus et inlectus
15 Then the passion conceives, and becomes the parent of sin; and sin, when fully matured, gives birth to death.
dein concupiscentia cum conceperit parit peccatum peccatum vero cum consummatum fuerit generat mortem
16 Do not be deceived, my dearly-loved brethren.
nolite itaque errare fratres mei dilectissimi
17 Every gift which is good, and every perfect boon, is from above, and comes down from the Father, who is the source of all Light. In Him there is no variation nor the slightest suggestion of change.
omne datum optimum et omne donum perfectum desursum est descendens a Patre luminum apud quem non est transmutatio nec vicissitudinis obumbratio
18 In accordance with His will He made us His children through the Message of the truth, so that we might, in a sense, be the Firstfruits of the things which He has created.
voluntarie genuit nos verbo veritatis ut simus initium aliquod creaturae eius
19 You know this, my dearly-loved brethren. But let every one be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to be angry.
scitis fratres mei dilecti sit autem omnis homo velox ad audiendum tardus autem ad loquendum et tardus ad iram
20 For a man's anger does not lead to action which God regards as righteous.
ira enim viri iustitiam Dei non operatur
21 Ridding yourselves, therefore, of all that is vile and of the evil influences which prevail around you, welcome in a humble spirit the Message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls.
propter quod abicientes omnem inmunditiam et abundantiam malitiae in mansuetudine suscipite insitum verbum quod potest salvare animas vestras
22 But prove yourselves obedient to the Message, and do not be mere hearers of it, imposing a delusion upon yourselves.
estote autem factores verbi et non auditores tantum fallentes vosmet ipsos
23 For if any one listens but does not obey, he is like a man who carefully looks at his own face in a mirror.
quia si quis auditor est verbi et non factor hic conparabitur viro consideranti vultum nativitatis suae in speculo
24 Although he has looked carefully at himself, he goes away, and has immediately forgotten the sort of man he is.
consideravit enim se et abiit et statim oblitus est qualis fuerit
25 But he who looks closely into the perfect Law--the Law of freedom--and continues looking, he, being not a hearer who forgets, but an obedient doer, will as the result of his obedience be blessed.
qui autem perspexerit in lege perfecta libertatis et permanserit non auditor obliviosus factus sed factor operis hic beatus in facto suo erit
26 If a man thinks that he is scrupulously religious, although he is not curbing his tongue but is deceiving himself, his religious service is worthless.
si quis autem putat se religiosum esse non refrenans linguam suam sed seducens cor suum huius vana est religio
27 The religious service which is pure and stainless in the sight of our God and Father is to visit fatherless children and widowed women in their time of trouble, and to keep one's own self unspotted from the world.
religio munda et inmaculata apud Deum et Patrem haec est visitare pupillos et viduas in tribulatione eorum inmaculatum se custodire ab hoc saeculo