yākūbaḥ 1
1 īśvarasya prabho ryīśukhrīṣṭasya ca dāso yākūb vikīrṇībhūtān dvādaśaṁ vaṁśān prati namaskṛtya patraṁ likhati|
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, greets the twelve tribes that are living abroad.
2 he mama bhrātaraḥ, yūyaṁ yadā bahuvidhaparīkṣāṣu nipatata tadā tat pūrṇānandasya kāraṇaṁ manyadhvaṁ|
My friends, whatever trials you may face from time to time, always regard them as a reason for rejoicing,
3 yato yuṣmākaṁ viśvāsasya parīkṣitatvena dhairyyaṁ sampādyata iti jānītha|
knowing, as you do, that the testing of your faith develops endurance.
4 tacca dhairyyaṁ siddhaphalaṁ bhavatu tena yūyaṁ siddhāḥ sampūrṇāśca bhaviṣyatha kasyāpi guṇasyābhāvaśca yuṣmākaṁ na bhaviṣyati|
And let endurance do its work perfectly, so that you may be altogether perfect, and in no respect lacking.
5 yuṣmākaṁ kasyāpi jñānābhāvo yadi bhavet tarhi ya īśvaraḥ saralabhāvena tiraskārañca vinā sarvvebhyo dadāti tataḥ sa yācatāṁ tatastasmai dāyiṣyate|
If any one of you lacks wisdom, they should ask wisdom from the God who gives freely to everyone without reproach, and it will be given to them.
6 kintu sa niḥsandehaḥ san viśvāsena yācatāṁ yataḥ sandigdho mānavo vāyunā cālitasyotplavamānasya ca samudrataraṅgasya sadṛśo bhavati|
But they should ask with confidence, never doubting; for the person who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven here and there at the mercy of the wind –
7 tādṛśo mānavaḥ prabhoḥ kiñcit prāpsyatīti na manyatāṁ|
Such a person must not expect that they will receive anything from the Lord,
8 dvimanā lokaḥ sarvvagatiṣu cañcalo bhavati|
vacillating as they are, irresolute at every turn.
9 yo bhrātā namraḥ sa nijonnatyā ślāghatāṁ|
Let a follower in humble circumstances be proud of their exalted position,
10 yaśca dhanavān sa nijanamratayā ślāghatāṁyataḥ sa tṛṇapuṣpavat kṣayaṁ gamiṣyati|
but a rich follower of their humiliation; for the rich will pass away like a wild flower.
11 yataḥ satāpena sūryyeṇoditya tṛṇaṁ śoṣyate tatpuṣpañca bhraśyati tena tasya rūpasya saundaryyaṁ naśyati tadvad dhaniloko'pi svīyamūḍhatayā mlāsyati|
As the sun rises, and the hot wind blows, the plant withers, its flower fades, and all its beauty is gone. So is it with the rich. In the midst of their pursuits they will wither away.
12 yo janaḥ parīkṣāṁ sahate sa eva dhanyaḥ, yataḥ parīkṣitatvaṁ prāpya sa prabhunā svapremakāribhyaḥ pratijñātaṁ jīvanamukuṭaṁ lapsyate|
Blessed is the person who remains firm under temptation, for, when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 īśvaro māṁ parīkṣata iti parīkṣāsamaye ko'pi na vadatu yataḥ pāpāyeśvarasya parīkṣā na bhavati sa ca kamapi na parīkṣate|
Let no one say, when they are tempted, ‘It is God who is tempting me!’ For God, who cannot be tempted to do wrong, does not himself tempt anyone.
14 kintu yaḥ kaścit svīyamanovāñchayākṛṣyate lobhyate ca tasyaiva parīkṣā bhavati|
A man is in every case tempted by their own passions – allured and enticed by them.
15 tasmāt sā manovāñchā sagarbhā bhūtvā duṣkṛtiṁ prasūte duṣkṛtiśca pariṇāmaṁ gatvā mṛtyuṁ janayati|
Then passion conceives and gives birth to sin, and sin, on reaching maturity, brings forth death.
16 he mama priyabhrātaraḥ, yūyaṁ na bhrāmyata|
Do not be deceived, my dear friends.
17 yat kiñcid uttamaṁ dānaṁ pūrṇo varaśca tat sarvvam ūrddhvād arthato yasmin daśāntaraṁ parivarttanajātacchāyā vā nāsti tasmād dīptyākarāt pituravarohati|
Every good thing given us, and every perfect gift, is from above, and comes down to us from the Father of the lights in the heavens, who is himself never subject to change or to eclipse.
18 tasya sṛṣṭavastūnāṁ madhye vayaṁ yat prathamaphalasvarūpā bhavāmastadarthaṁ sa svecchātaḥ satyamatasya vākyenāsmān janayāmāsa|
Because he so willed, he gave us life, through the message of the truth, so that we should be, as it were, a kind of first fruits of his creation.
19 ataeva he mama priyabhrātaraḥ, yuṣmākam ekaiko janaḥ śravaṇe tvaritaḥ kathane dhīraḥ krodhe'pi dhīro bhavatu|
Mark this, my dear friends – Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry;
20 yato mānavasya krodha īśvarīyadharmmaṁ na sādhayati|
for human anger does not forward the righteous purpose of God.
21 ato heto ryūyaṁ sarvvām aśucikriyāṁ duṣṭatābāhulyañca nikṣipya yuṣmanmanasāṁ paritrāṇe samarthaṁ ropitaṁ vākyaṁ namrabhāvena gṛhlīta|
Therefore, get rid of 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 aparañca yūyaṁ kevalam ātmavañcayitāro vākyasya śrotāro na bhavata kintu vākyasya karmmakāriṇo bhavata|
Put that message into practice, and do not merely listen to it – deceiving yourselves.
23 yato yaḥ kaścid vākyasya karmmakārī na bhūtvā kevalaṁ tasya śrotā bhavati sa darpaṇe svīyaśārīrikavadanaṁ nirīkṣamāṇasya manujasya sadṛśaḥ|
For, when anyone listens to it and does not practice it, they are like a person looking at their own face in a mirror.
24 ātmākāre dṛṣṭe sa prasthāya kīdṛśa āsīt tat tatkṣaṇād vismarati|
They look at themselves, then go on their way,
25 kintu yaḥ kaścit natvā mukteḥ siddhāṁ vyavasthām ālokya tiṣṭhati sa vismṛtiyuktaḥ śrotā na bhūtvā karmmakarttaiva san svakāryye dhanyo bhaviṣyati|
but the person 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 person will be blessed in what they do.
26 anāyattarasanaḥ san yaḥ kaścit svamano vañcayitvā svaṁ bhaktaṁ manyate tasya bhakti rmudhā bhavati|
When a person appears to be religious, yet does not bridle their tongue, but imposes on their own conscience, that person’s religious observances are valueless.
27 kleśakāle pitṛhīnānāṁ vidhavānāñca yad avekṣaṇaṁ saṁsārācca niṣkalaṅkena yad ātmarakṣaṇaṁ tadeva piturīśvarasya sākṣāt śuci rnirmmalā ca bhaktiḥ|
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.
