Jak 1
1 Jacques, yon sèvitè-atache nèt a Bondye, ak Senyè a, Jésus Kris, a douz tribi ki gaye a letranje yo, salitasyon.
James, a Servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, greets the Twelve Tribes that are living abroad.
2 Konsidere sa kòm tout lajwa, frè m yo, lè nou rankontre tout kalite eprèv yo
My Brothers, whatever may be the temptations that beset you from time to time, always regard them as a reason for rejoicing,
3 nan konnen ke eprèv lafwa nou pwodwi andirans.
knowing, as you do, that the testing of your faith develops endurance.
4 Konsa, kite andirans lan fè rezilta pafè li, pou nou kab vin pafè e konplè, san manke anyen.
And let endurance do its work perfectly, so that you may be altogether perfect, and in no respect deficient.
5 Men si nenpòt nan nou manke sajès, kite li mande Bondye, ki bay tout moun avèk jenewozite e san repwòch, e Bondye va bay li.
If one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask wisdom from the God who gives freely to every one without reproaches, and it will be given to him.
6 Men li dwe mande nan lafwa, san doute, paske sila ki doute a tankou vag lanmè, ki pouse e voye pa van an.
But let him ask with confidence, never doubting; for the man who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven hither and thither at the mercy of the wind —
7 Paske moun sa a pa dwe sipoze ke li va resevwa anyen nan men Senyè a,
Such a man must not expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 tankou yon moun ak doub panse, ki enstab nan tout chemen li yo.
vacillating as he is, irresolute at every turn.
9 Kite frè ki nan sikonstans ki ba, bay glwa nan wo pozisyon li;
Let a Brother in humble circumstances be proud of his exalted position, but a rich Brother of his humiliation;
10 e kite moun rich la, bay glwa nan imilyasyon li, paske tankou zèb k ap fleri, li osi va disparèt.
for the rich man will pass away ‘like the flower of the grass.’
11 Paske solèy la leve avèk yon gwo chalè, epi zèb la seche; flè li tonbe, e bote aparans li an vin disparèt. Konsa tou, moun rich la nan mitan tout sa l ap chèche yo, li va vin disparèt.
As the sun rises, and the hot wind blows, ‘the grass withers, its flower fades,’ and all its beauty is gone. So is it with the rich man. In the midst of his pursuits he will come to an untimely end.
12 Beni se yon moun ki pèsevere anba eprèv. Paske, yon fwa li fin apwouve, li va resevwa kouwòn lavi a ke Senyè a pwomèt a sila ki renmen Li yo.
Blessed is the man who remains firm under temptation, for, when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of Life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 Pa kite pèsòn di lè l tante: “Se Bondye k ap tante m,” paske Bondye pa kapab tante pa mal, e Li menm, Li pa tante pèsòn.
Let no one say, when he is tempted, “It is God who is tempting me!” For God, who cannot be tempted to do wrong, does not himself tempt any one.
14 Men chak moun tante lè li pote ale pa pwòp move dezi li yo.
A man is in every case tempted by his own passions — allured and enticed by them.
15 Alò, lè move dezi a fin jèmen, li bay nesans a peche. Epi lè peche a fin akonpli, li pote lanmò.
Then Passion conceives and gives birth to Sin, and Sin, on reaching maturity, brings forth Death.
16 Pinga nou vin twonpe, frè byeneme mwen yo.
Do not be deceived, my dear Brothers.
17 Tout bon bagay ki fèt ak tout kado pafè sòti anwo, epi desann nan Papa a limyè yo. Avèk Li pa gen ni chanjman ni menm yon lonbraj varyasyon.
Every good thing given us, and every perfect gift, is from above, and comes down to us from the Maker of the Lights in the heavens, who is himself never subject to change or to eclipse.
18 Nan egzèsis volonte Li, Li te fè nou vin parèt pa pawòl verite a pou nou ta kapab vin tankoupremye fwi pami kreyati Li yo.
Because he so willed, he gave us Life, through the Message of the Truth, so that we should be, as it were, an earnest of still further creations.
19 Nou konnen sa, frè byeneme m yo. Men tout moun dwe gen vitès nan tande, lan nan pale, e lan nan fè kòlè.
Mark this, my dear Brothers — Let every one be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry;
20 Paske kòlè a lòm pa pwodwi ladwati Bondye.
for the anger of man does not forward the righteous purpose of God.
21 Konsa, annou mete sou kote tout sa ki sal, ak tout sa ki rete de mechanste, e ak imilite, resevwa pawòl ki enplante nan nou an, ki kapab sove nanm nou.
Therefore, have done with all filthiness and whatever wickedness still remains, and in a humble spirit receive that Message which has been planted in your hearts and is able to save your souls.
22 Men, fè prèv tèt nou ke nou aji selon pawòl la, e se pa senpleman tande li. Moun konsa yo twonpe pwòp tèt yo.
Put that Message into practice, and do not merely listen to it — deceiving yourselves.
23 Paske si yon moun ap tande pawòl la, e li pa aji selon li, li tankou yon moun ki gade figi natirèl li nan yon miwa.
For, when any one listens to it and does not practice it, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror.
24 Yon fwa, li fin gade tèt li e li ale, li gen tan bliye ki kalite moun li te ye a.
He looks at himself, then goes on his way,
25 Men yon moun ki gade avèk atansyon lalwa pafè a, lalwa libète a, e aji selon li, li pa vin yon moun ki tande pou bliye, men yon moun ki fè l tout bon, moun sa a va beni nan sa li fè.
but he who looks carefully into the perfect Law, the Law of Freedom, and continues to do so, not listening to it and then forgetting it, but putting it into practice — that man will be blessed in what he does.
26 Si yon moun panse nan tèt li ke li swiv Bondye tout tan, e malgre sa, li pa mete yon brid sou lang li, li pase pwòp tèt li nan betiz, e lafwa moun sa a vin san valè.
When a man appears to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue, but imposes upon his own conscience, that man’s religious observances are valueless.
27 Relijyon ki pafè e san tach devan zye a Bondye, Papa nou a se sa a: vizite òfelen e vèv ki nan nesesite yo, e kenbe tèt nou san tach de mond lan.
That religious observance which is pure and spotless in the eyes of God our Father is this — to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself uncontaminated by the world.
