Jakobsbrevet 1
1 Jacobus, Guds och Herrans Jesu Christi tjenare: dem tolf slägtom, som äro här och der förskingrade, helso.
[I], James, am a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. [I am writing this letter] to [all] the Jewish people [who trust in Christ] (OR, to all God’s people) who are scattered throughout the world. [I send my] greetings to [you all].
2 Mine bröder, håller det för all glädje, när I fallen i mångahanda frestelse;
My fellow believers, rejoice greatly, [even] when you experience various kinds of difficulties/troubles.
3 Och veter, att edor tros bepröfvelse gör tålamod.
[God sometimes allows you to experience difficulties in order to] test whether or not you will continue to trust [him. Whenever that happens, you need to] realize more and more that [if you continue to trust him], you will be able to bravely/patiently endure difficulties.
4 Men låter tålamodet hafva ett fullbordadt verk; på det I skolen vara fullkomna och hele, och intet fel hafva.
Keep on enduring difficulties [bravely/patiently by trusting God more and more firmly] [PRS], in order that you may become all that he intends you to be [DOU] (OR, [spiritually] mature and complete), not lacking (any [good quality/anything you need to conduct your lives as God wants you to]).
5 Hvar nu någrom ibland eder fattas visdom, han bedje af Gudi, den der gifver enfaldeliga allom, och förviter icke; och han skall honom gifven varda.
If anyone of you does not know how to act wisely [in order to endure difficulties/trials well], he should ask God [to show him what he should do, because] God wholeheartedly/gladly helps all people [who ask] and does not scold [anyone for asking. Those who ask], God will give them wisdom to know [what they should do].
6 Men han bedje i trone, intet tviflandes; ty den der tviflar, han är såsom hafsens våg, som af vädret drifs och föres.
But [when you] ask [God], you should firmly trust him. You should not doubt [that he wants to help you always], because people who keep doubting God are [unstable/changeable] [SIM] like a wave of the sea that is blown back and forth by the wind {that goes back and forth when the wind blows} [DOU, SIM].
7 Sådana menniska tänke icke, att hon får något af Herranom.
Indeed, people [who doubt] should not think that the Lord [God] will do anything [that they request him to do],
8 En man, som tviflar, är ostadig i alla sina vägar.
[because they are] people who cannot decide [whether they will commit themselves to God, and they are] unstable/undecided in everything that they do.
9 Men en broder, som ringa är, berömme sig af sin upphöjelse;
Believers who are poor should be happy [that God] considers them very valuable (OR, has exalted them [spiritually]) [MTY].
10 Och den som rik är, af sin förnedring; ty såsom blomstret af gräset skall han förgås.
And [believers] who are rich should be happy [that] they have humbled themselves [in order to trust in Jesus Christ] (OR, but rich people [can only] take pride [in the fact that God] will humble them [when he judges everyone] [IRO]), because they [and their riches] [MTY] will pass away, just like wild flowers [wither] [SIM].
11 Solen går upp med hetta, och gräset förvissnar, och blomstret faller af, och dess sköna fägring förgås; så skall ock den rike förvissna uti sina vägar.
When the sun rises, the scorching hot wind dries plants, and their flowers fall and are no longer beautiful. Similarly, rich people will die [MET] while they are busy working, [leaving behind their riches].
12 Salig är den man, som tåleliga lider frestelse; ty då han bepröfvad är, skall han ta lifsens krono, den Gud lofvat hafver dem som honom älska.
[God] is pleased with people who bravely/patiently endure difficulties. And when, [by bravely enduring difficulties], they have proved [that they truly trust him], he will give them [eternal] life. That is the reward [MET] that he has promised to give to those who love him.
13 Ingen säge, då han frestad varder, att han af Gudi frestad varder; ty Gud frestas icke af ondt, han frestar ock ingen;
If people are tempted to do something that is evil, they should not think that it is God who is tempting them, because [God is totally/completely good]. He never tempts anyone [to do what is evil], nor can he ever be tempted to [do anything] evil.
14 Utan hvar och en varder frestad, då han af sin egen begärelse dragen och lockad varder.
But people strongly desire to do evil [PRS] things, [and as a result] they are tempted by those desires {those desires stimulate them} to do something evil [PRS, DOU].
15 Derefter, sedan begärelsen hafver aflat, föder hon synden; men då synden är fullbordad, föder hon döden.
Then, [because] they have desired [MET] to do evil [PRS] things, they begin to [MET] do [PRS] them. And when they have become ones who [habitually] do what is evil [MET], [if they do not turn away from their sinful behavior], they will be separated from God forever.
16 Farer icke ville, mine käre bröder.
My fellow believers whom I love, stop deceiving yourselves, [thinking that God does evil things].
17 All god gåfva, och all fullkomlig gåfva kommer ofvanefter, ifrå ljusens Fader; när hvilkom ingen förvandling är, eller ljus och mörkers omskiftelse.
[The truth is that God], our heavenly Father [MTY], does only good [DOU] things [for us, in order to help us become] all that he intends us to be. He is not like all the things [in the sky] that he created to give light, [because they] change; [that is, they do not shine the same all the time]. But God never changes. [He is always good].
18 Han hafver oss födt efter sin vilja, genom sanningenes ord, på det vi skulle vara förstlingen af hans kreatur.
[And because] he wanted [to help us], he gave us [spiritual] life as a result of our [trusting in his] true message. So now we have become the first ones of [all the people] [MET] that he created [to] ([be totally dedicated to/completely belong to]) [him].
19 Derföre, mine käre bröder, hvar och en menniska vare snar till att höra, och sen till att tala, och sen till vrede.
My fellow believers whom I love, you know (OR, I want you to now) that every one of you should be eager to pay attention to [God’s true message]. Don’t speak [without thinking], nor get angry easily,
20 Ty mansens vrede gör icke det rätt är för Gudi.
because when any one [of you gets] angry, you will not be doing the righteous things that God [wants] you [to do].
21 Lägger fördenskull bort alla orenlighet och alla ondsko, och anammer ordet med saktmodighet, som i eder plantadt är, det edra själar kan saliga göra.
So stop doing all kinds of evil [DOU] things, and humbly obey (OR, submit to) the message that [God] put in your (inner beings/hearts), [because] he is able to save you [SYN] [if you accept his message].
22 Men varer ordets görare, och icke allenast hörare, bedragandes eder sjelfva.
Do [what God commands in] his message. Do not only listen [to it, because people who only listen to it and do not obey it] are wrong when they think [that God will save them].
23 Ty der någor är allenast ordsens hörare, och icke görare, han är lik den man, som sitt lekamliga ansigte skådar i en spegel;
Some people hear God’s message but do not do [what it says] [MET]. They are like someone who looks at his face in a mirror [SIM].
24 Ty då han sig beskådat hafver, går han derifrån, och förgäter straxt hurudana han var.
Although he looks at himself, he goes away [from the mirror] and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 Men den der skådar uti frihetenes fullkomliga lag, och blifver deruti, och är icke en glömsker hörare, utan en görare, den samme varder salig uti sin gerning.
But other people look closely at [God’s] message, which is perfect and which sets people free [to voluntarily do what God wants them to do]. And if they continue [to examine God’s message] and do not just hear it and then forget it, but do [what God tells them to do], God will bless them because of what they do.
26 Hvar nu någor ibland eder låter sig tycka, att han tjenar Gudi, och icke styrer sina tungo, utan bedrager sitt hjerta, hans Gudstjenst är fåfäng.
Some people think that they worship God in the right way, but they habitually say evil things [MTY]. Those people are wrong in thinking [SYN] [that they worship God rightly]. The fact is [that they] worship God (in vain/uselessly).
27 Detta är för Gudi och Fadren en ren och obesmittad Gudstjenst, söka faderlös och moderlös barn, och enkor, uti deras bedröfvelse, och behålla sig obesmittad af verldene.
[One of the things that God has told us to do] is to take care of orphans and widows who suffer hardship. [Those who do that and] who do not think or act immorally like those who do not obey God [MTY] truly [DOU] worship God, [who is our] Father, and God approves of them.
