< Jak 1 >
1 Mwen menm Jak, sèvitè Bondye ak Jezikri Seyè nou an, m'ap ekri lèt sa a pou douz branch fanmi yo ki gaye toupatou sou latè. Bonjou pou nou tout.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are in the dispersion: Greetings!
2 Frè m' yo, se pou nou santi nou kontan anpil lè nou wè nou tonbe anba nenpòt kalite eprèv.
Count [it] all joy, my brothers, when you may fall into manifold temptations,
3 Paske, nou konnen byen, lè konfyans nou gen nan Bondye a tonbe anba eprèv, sa ban nou pasyans.
knowing that the proof of your faith works endurance,
4 Men, fòk pasyans sa a fin fè travay li nèt pou nou kapab bon nèt sou tout pwen, byen devlope, san nou pa manke anyen.
and let the endurance have a perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 Si yon moun pami nou manke bon konprann, se pou l' mande Bondye, Bondye va ba li li. Paske, Bondye bay tout moun san mezire, pou gremesi.
And if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from God, who is giving to all generously, and not reproaching, and it will be given to him;
6 Men, se pou li mande ak konfyans, san l' pa gen doutans. Paske, moun ki gen doutans, li tankou lanm lanmè van ap boulvèse.
but let him ask in faith, doubting nothing, for he who is doubting has been like a wave of the sea, driven by wind and tossed;
7 Yon moun konsa pa bezwen mete nan tèt li l'ap resevwa anyen nan men Seyè a.
for do not let that man suppose that he will receive anything from the LORD—
8 Se yon moun ki pa konnen sa li vle, ki toujou ap chanje lide nan tou sa l'ap fè.
a soul-split man [is] unstable in all his ways.
9 Yon frè ki pòv dwe moutre jan li kontan lè Bondye fè kichòy pou li.
And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation,
10 Konsa tou, yon frè ki rich dwe moutre jan l' kontan tou lè Bondye rabese li. Paske, moun ki rich gen pou pase tankou flè zèb.
but the rich in his becoming low, because he will pass away as a flower of grass;
11 Solèy la leve ak tout chalè li. Li cheche zèb la. Flè a tonbe. Tout bèlte l' disparèt. Konsa tou, moun rich la gen pou l' disparèt pandan tout kòmès li ap mache.
for the sun rose with the burning heat, and withered the grass, and the flower of it fell, and the beauty of its appearance perished, so also the rich in his way will fade away!
12 benediksyon pou moun ki sipòte eprèv li ak pasyans. Lè la fin pase anba eprèv yo, la resevwa pou rekonpans lavi Bondye te pwomèt tout moun ki renmen li yo.
Blessed [is] the man who endures temptation, because, becoming approved, he will receive the garland of life, which the LORD promised to those loving Him.
13 Lè eprèv tonbe sou yon moun, lè l' anba tantasyon, moun sa a pa dwe di se Bondye k'ap tante li. Paske, menm jan Bondye pa janm anba tantasyon pou fè sa ki mal, konsa tou Bondye pa ka tante pesonn pou fè l' fè sa ki mal.
Let no one who is being tempted say, “I am tempted from God,” for God is not tempted by evils, and Himself tempts no one,
14 Men, lè yon moun anba tantasyon, se pwòp move dezi moun lan k'ap rale l', k'ap pouse li.
but each one is tempted, being led away and enticed by his own desires;
15 Konsa, move dezi a travay nan kè li, li fè l' fè peche. Lè peche a fin fèt, li bay lanmò.
afterward the desire having conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin having been perfected, brings forth death.
16 Frè mwen renmen anpil yo, pa twonpe tèt nou sou bagay sa a.
Do not be led astray, my beloved brothers.
17 Tout pi bèl favè, tout pi bon kado nou resevwa, se anwo nan syèl la yo soti, nan men Bondye ki kreye tout limyè. Bondye pa janm chanje, ni li pa gen anyen ki ta ka sanble yon chanjman nan li.
Every good giving, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of turning;
18 Gremesi pawòl verite a, li ban nou lavi jan l' te vle l' la, pou nou kapab gen premye plas nan tou sa li kreye.
having willed [it], He begot us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit of His creatures.
19 Frè mwen renmen anpil yo, men yon bagay pou nou toujou chonje. Se pou tout moun prese louvri zòrèy yo pou yo ka tande. Men, pa kouri pale, pa prese fè kòlè.
So then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
20 Paske, kòlè lèzòm pa ka fè volonte Bondye.
for the wrath of a man does not work the righteousness of God;
21 Se poutèt sa, derasinen tout vye abitid ki pa dakò ak volonte Bondye ansanm ak tout kras mechanste ki nan lavi nou, voye yo jete. Soumèt nou devan Bondye, asepte pawòl li te plante nan kè nou an, paske se pawòl sa a ki ka sove nanm nou.
for this reason, having put aside all filthiness and superabundance of evil, receive the implanted word in meekness, that is able to save your souls;
22 Se pou nou fè tou sa pawòl la mande nou fè. Pa rete ap koute ase. Lè sa a, se pwòp tèt nou n'ap twonpe.
and become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,
23 Paske, lè yon moun tande pawòl la ase, san li pa fè sa pawòl la mande l' fè, li tankou yon moun ki gade figi l' nan yon glas.
because, if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one has been like to a man viewing his natural face in a mirror,
24 Men, kou l' vire do l' ale, lamenm li bliye kisa li sanble.
for he viewed himself, and has gone away, and immediately he forgot what kind of [man] he was;
25 Men, moun ki fikse je l' sou lalwa ki bon nèt la, lalwa ki bay libète a, si l' soti pou l' fè sa lalwa a mande, si li pa yon moun ki kite pawòl la antre nan yon zòrèy soti nan yon lòt, men ki fè sa lalwa a mande, moun sa a va jwenn benediksyon nan sa l'ap fè a.
but he who looked into [the] perfect law—that of liberty, and continued there, not becoming a forgetful hearer, but a doer of work—this one will be blessed in his doing.
26 Si yon moun kwè l'ap sèvi Bondye, pou anmenmtan li pa bride lang li, se tèt li l'ap twonpe. Sèvi Bondye jan sa a pa vo anyen.
If anyone thinks to be religious among you, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, the religion of this one [is] vain;
27 Men jan pou nou sèvi Bondye Papa a, si nou vle sèvi l' yon jan ki dakò ak volonte Bondye, yon jan ki bon tout bon devan li: SE pòte sekou bay timoun ki san papa. Se bay vèv yo lasistans lè yo nan lafliksyon. Se pa mele nan move bagay k'ap fèt sou latè pou nou pa pèdi kondisyon nou.
religion pure and undefiled with the God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation—to keep himself unspotted from the world.