Jakobsbrevet 1
1 Jakob, Guds och Herrens, Jesu Kristi, tjänare, hälsar de tolv stammar som bo kringspridda bland folken.
[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 Mina bröder, hållen det för idel glädje, när I kommen i allahanda frestelser,
My fellow believers, rejoice greatly, [even] when you experience various kinds of difficulties/troubles.
3 och veten, att om eder tro håller provet, så verkar detta ståndaktighet.
[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 Och låten ståndaktigheten hava med sig fullkomlighet i gärning, så att I ären fullkomliga, utan fel och utan brist i något stycke.
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 Men om någon av eder brister i vishet, så må han utbedja sig sådan från Gud, som giver åt alla villigt och utan hårda ord, och den skall bliva honom given.
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 tro, utan att tvivla; ty den som tvivlar är lik havets våg, som drives omkring av vinden och kastas hit och dit.
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 En sådan människa må icke tänka att hon skall få något från Herren --
Indeed, people [who doubt] should not think that the Lord [God] will do anything [that they request him to do],
8 en människa med delad håg, en som går ostadigt fram på 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 Den broder som lever i ringhet berömme sig av sin höghet.
Believers who are poor should be happy [that God] considers them very valuable (OR, has exalted them [spiritually]) [MTY].
10 Den åter som är rik berömme sig av sin ringhet, ty såsom gräsets blomster 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 sin brännande hetta och förtorkar gräset, och dess blomster faller av, och dess fägring förgår; så skall ock den rike förvissna mitt i sin ävlan.
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 är ståndaktig i frestelsen; ty när han har bestått sitt prov, skall han få livets krona, vilken Gud har lovat åt dem som älska honom.
[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, när han bliver frestad, att det är från Gud som hans frestelse kommer; ty såsom Gud icke kan frestas av något ont, så frestar han icke heller någon.
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 Nej, närhelst någon frestas, så är det av sin egen begärelse som han drages och lockas.
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 Sedan, när begärelsen har blivit havande, föder hon synd, och när synden har blivit fullmogen, framföder hon död.
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 Faren icke vilse, mina älskade bröder.
My fellow believers whom I love, stop deceiving yourselves, [thinking that God does evil things].
17 Idel goda gåvor och idel fullkomliga skänker komma ned ovanifrån, från himlaljusens Fader, hos vilken ingen förändring äger rum och ingen växling av ljus och mörker.
[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 Efter sitt eget beslut födde han oss till liv genom sanningens ord, för att vi skulle vara en förstling av de varelser han har skapat.
[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 Det veten I, mina älskade bröder. Men var människa 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 en mans vrede kommer icke åstad vad rätt är inför Gud.
because when any one [of you gets] angry, you will not be doing the righteous things that God [wants] you [to do].
21 Skaffen därför bort all orenhet och all ondska som finnes kvar, och mottagen med saktmod det ord som är plantat i eder, och som kan frälsa edra själar.
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 varen ordets görare, och icke allenast dess hörare, eljest bedragen I eder själva.
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 om någon är ordets hörare, men icke dess görare, så är han lik en man som betraktar sitt ansikte 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 när han har betraktat sig däri, går han sin väg och förgäter strax hurudan han var.
Although he looks at himself, he goes away [from the mirror] and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 Men den som skådar in i den fullkomliga lagen, frihetens lag, och förbliver därvid och icke är en glömsk hörare, utan en verklig görare, han varder salig i sin gärning.
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 Om någon menar sig tjäna Gud och icke tyglar sin tunga, utan bedrager sitt hjärta, så är hans gudstjänst intet värd.
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 En gudstjänst, som är ren och obesmittad inför Gud och Fadern, är det att vårda sig om fader- och moderlösa barn och änkor i deras bedrövelse, och att hålla sig obefläckad av världen.
[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.
