yākūbaḥ 1
1 īśvarasya prabhō ryīśukhrīṣṭasya ca dāsō yākūb vikīrṇībhūtān dvādaśaṁ vaṁśān prati namaskr̥tya patraṁ likhati|
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, greets the twelve tribes that are living abroad.
2 hē 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 yatō yuṣmākaṁ viśvāsasya parīkṣitatvēna dhairyyaṁ sampādyata iti jānītha|
knowing, as you do, that the testing of your faith develops endurance.
4 tacca dhairyyaṁ siddhaphalaṁ bhavatu tēna 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 jñānābhāvō yadi bhavēt tarhi ya īśvaraḥ saralabhāvēna tiraskārañca vinā sarvvēbhyō dadāti tataḥ sa yācatāṁ tatastasmai dāyiṣyatē|
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 niḥsandēhaḥ san viśvāsēna yācatāṁ yataḥ sandigdhō mānavō vāyunā cālitasyōtplavamānasya ca samudrataraṅgasya sadr̥śō 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 tādr̥śō mānavaḥ prabhōḥ kiñcit prāpsyatīti na manyatāṁ|
Such a person must not expect that they will receive anything from the Lord,
8 dvimanā lōkaḥ sarvvagatiṣu cañcalō bhavati|
vacillating as they are, irresolute at every turn.
9 yō bhrātā namraḥ sa nijōnnatyā ślāghatāṁ|
Let a follower in humble circumstances be proud of their exalted position,
10 yaśca dhanavān sa nijanamratayā ślāghatāṁyataḥ sa tr̥ṇapuṣpavat kṣayaṁ gamiṣyati|
but a rich follower of their humiliation; for the rich will pass away like a wild flower.
11 yataḥ satāpēna sūryyēṇōditya tr̥ṇaṁ śōṣyatē tatpuṣpañca bhraśyati tēna tasya rūpasya saundaryyaṁ naśyati tadvad dhanilōkō'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 yō janaḥ parīkṣāṁ sahatē sa ēva dhanyaḥ, yataḥ parīkṣitatvaṁ prāpya sa prabhunā svaprēmakāribhyaḥ pratijñātaṁ jīvanamukuṭaṁ lapsyatē|
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 īśvarō māṁ parīkṣata iti parīkṣāsamayē kō'pi na vadatu yataḥ pāpāyēśvarasya parīkṣā na bhavati sa ca kamapi na parīkṣatē|
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 svīyamanōvāñchayākr̥ṣyatē lōbhyatē ca tasyaiva parīkṣā bhavati|
A man is in every case tempted by their own passions – allured and enticed by them.
15 tasmāt sā manōvāñchā sagarbhā bhūtvā duṣkr̥tiṁ prasūtē duṣkr̥tiśca pariṇāmaṁ gatvā mr̥tyuṁ janayati|
Then passion conceives and gives birth to sin, and sin, on reaching maturity, brings forth death.
16 hē mama priyabhrātaraḥ, yūyaṁ na bhrāmyata|
Do not be deceived, my dear friends.
17 yat kiñcid uttamaṁ dānaṁ pūrṇō varaśca tat sarvvam ūrddhvād arthatō yasmin daśāntaraṁ parivarttanajātacchāyā vā nāsti tasmād dīptyākarāt pituravarōhati|
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 sr̥ṣṭavastūnāṁ madhyē vayaṁ yat prathamaphalasvarūpā bhavāmastadarthaṁ sa svēcchātaḥ satyamatasya vākyēnāsmān 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 ataēva hē mama priyabhrātaraḥ, yuṣmākam ēkaikō janaḥ śravaṇē tvaritaḥ kathanē dhīraḥ krōdhē'pi dhīrō bhavatu|
Mark this, my dear friends – Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry;
20 yatō mānavasya krōdha īśvarīyadharmmaṁ na sādhayati|
for human anger does not forward the righteous purpose of God.
21 atō hētō ryūyaṁ sarvvām aśucikriyāṁ duṣṭatābāhulyañca nikṣipya yuṣmanmanasāṁ paritrāṇē samarthaṁ rōpitaṁ vākyaṁ namrabhāvēna gr̥hlīta|
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 kēvalam ātmavañcayitārō vākyasya śrōtārō na bhavata kintu vākyasya karmmakāriṇō bhavata|
Put that message into practice, and do not merely listen to it – deceiving yourselves.
23 yatō yaḥ kaścid vākyasya karmmakārī na bhūtvā kēvalaṁ tasya śrōtā bhavati sa darpaṇē svīyaśārīrikavadanaṁ nirīkṣamāṇasya manujasya sadr̥śaḥ|
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 ātmākārē dr̥ṣṭē sa prasthāya kīdr̥śa āsīt tat tatkṣaṇād vismarati|
They look at themselves, then go on their way,
25 kintu yaḥ kaścit natvā muktēḥ siddhāṁ vyavasthām ālōkya tiṣṭhati sa vismr̥tiyuktaḥ śrōtā na bhūtvā karmmakarttaiva san svakāryyē dhanyō 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 svamanō vañcayitvā svaṁ bhaktaṁ manyatē 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 klēśakālē pitr̥hīnānāṁ vidhavānāñca yad avēkṣaṇaṁ saṁsārācca niṣkalaṅkēna yad ātmarakṣaṇaṁ tadēva 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.
