Semisi 1
1 Ko au Semisi, ko e tamaioʻeiki ʻae ʻOtua, pea mo e ʻEiki ko Sisu Kalaisi, ki he faʻahinga ʻe hongofulu ma ua kuo fakahē mamaʻo, ʻofa atu.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, greets the twelve tribes that are living abroad.
2 ʻE hoku kāinga, ʻoka mou ka tō ki he ngaahi ʻahiʻahi kehekehe, ui ia kotoa pē ko e meʻa fakafiefia;
My friends, whatever trials you may face from time to time, always regard them as a reason for rejoicing,
3 ʻO ʻilo, ko e ʻahiʻahiʻi ʻo hoʻomou tui, ʻoku ne fakatupu ʻae kātaki.
knowing, as you do, that the testing of your faith develops endurance.
4 Kae tuku ʻae kātaki ke ngāue ki he haohaoa, koeʻuhi ke mou haohaoa mo māʻopoʻopo, ʻo taʻemasiva ʻi ha meʻa.
And let endurance do its work perfectly, so that you may be altogether perfect, and in no respect lacking.
5 Ka ai hamou taha ʻoku masiva ʻi he poto, ke kole ʻe ia ki he ʻOtua, ʻaia ʻoku ne foaki lahi ki he kakai kotoa pē, pea ʻoku ʻikai valokiʻi; pea ʻe foaki ia kiate ia.
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 Ka ʻe lelei ʻene kole ʻi he tui, ʻo taʻefakataʻetaʻetui. He ko ia ʻoku fakataʻetaʻetui ʻoku hangē ia ko e peau ʻoe tahi ʻoku fakateka mo feliliʻaki ʻe he matangi.
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 Ke ʻoua naʻa mahalo ʻe he tangata ko ia ʻe maʻu ʻe ia ha meʻa mei he ʻEiki.
Such a person must not expect that they will receive anything from the Lord,
8 Ko e tangata ʻoku lotolotoua, ʻoku taʻemaau ʻi heʻene anga kotoa pē.
vacillating as they are, irresolute at every turn.
9 Ke fiefia ʻae tokoua ʻoku masiva ʻi hono hakeakiʻi:
Let a follower in humble circumstances be proud of their exalted position,
10 Ka ko e maʻumeʻa, ʻi hono fakaangavaivaiʻi: koeʻuhi ʻe mole atu ia ʻo hangē ko e fisi ʻoe mohuku.
but a rich follower of their humiliation; for the rich will pass away like a wild flower.
11 He ʻoku ʻalu hake ʻae laʻā mo e vela lahi, pea ne fakamae ʻae mohuku, pea ngangana ai hono fisi ʻoʻona, pea ʻauha mo e fakaʻofoʻofa ʻo hono ngaohi: ʻe pehē foki ʻae ʻauha ʻoe tangata koloaʻia mei hono hala.
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 ʻOku monūʻia ʻae tangata ʻoku ne kātaki ʻae ʻahiʻahi: he ʻoka ʻilo ia ʻoku lelei, ʻe maʻu ʻe ia ʻae pale ʻoe moʻui, ʻaia kuo talaʻofa ki ai ʻae ʻEiki kiate kinautolu ʻoku ʻofa kiate ia.
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 Ke ʻoua naʻa pehē ʻe ha taha ʻoka ʻahiʻahi [koviʻi ]ia, Kuo ʻahiʻahi [koviʻi ]au ʻe he ʻOtua: he ʻoku ʻikai faʻa ʻahiʻahiʻi ʻae ʻOtua ʻe he kovi, pea ʻoku ʻikai ʻahiʻahi[koviʻi ]ʻe ia ha tokotaha:
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 Ka kuo ʻahiʻahi [koviʻi ]ʻae tangata, ʻaia kuo takiekina, pea fakaoloolo, ʻe heʻene holi ʻaʻana.
A man is in every case tempted by their own passions – allured and enticed by them.
15 Pea ʻoka tuituʻia ʻae holi kovi, ʻoku fanauʻi ko e angahala: pea ka kakato ʻae angahala, ʻoku fanauʻi ai ʻae mate.
Then passion conceives and gives birth to sin, and sin, on reaching maturity, brings forth death.
16 ʻE hoku kāinga ʻofeina, ʻoua naʻa mou hē.
Do not be deceived, my dear friends.
17 Ko e foaki lelei kotoa pē mo e foaki haohaoa kotoa pē ʻoku mei ʻolunga, pea ʻoku ʻalu hifo ia mei he Tamai ʻoe ngaahi maama, ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai ʻi ai ha fetoʻoaki, pe ko e ʻata ʻae feliliuʻaki.
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 Pea ko hono finangalo pe ʻoʻona naʻa ne fakatupu ai ʻakitautolu ʻaki ʻae folofola ʻoe moʻoni, koeʻuhi ke tau hoko ko e ʻuluaki fua ʻi hono kakai.
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 Ko ia, ko hoku kāinga ʻofeina, ke fakavave ʻae tangata kotoa pē ki he fanongo, pea fakatuotuai ki he lea, ʻo fakatotoka ki he ʻita:
Mark this, my dear friends – Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry;
20 He ʻoku ʻikai ke fakatupu ʻae māʻoniʻoni ʻoe ʻOtua ʻe he ʻita ʻae tangata.
for human anger does not forward the righteous purpose of God.
21 Ko ia mou liʻaki ʻae ʻuli kotoa pē pea mo hono lahi fau ʻoe angahala, pea tali ʻi he angavaivai ʻae folofola kuo tō, ʻaia ʻoku mālohi ke fakamoʻui homou laumālie.
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 Ka ke fai ʻekimoutolu ki he folofola, pea ʻoua naʻa ngata ʻi he fanongo, ʻo mou kākaaʻi ʻakimoutolu.
Put that message into practice, and do not merely listen to it – deceiving yourselves.
23 He kapau ʻoku fanongo ʻe ha taha ki ne folofola, kae ʻikai fai, ʻoku tatau ia mo ha taha ʻoku ne fakasio ki he mata ʻo hono sino ʻi ha sioʻata:
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 He ʻoku ne fakasio kiate ia, pea ʻalu, pea ngalo leva ʻiate ia pe ʻoku matamata fēfē ia.
They look at themselves, then go on their way,
25 Ka ko ia ʻoku sio fakamamaʻu ki he fono haohaoa ʻoe tauʻatāina, pea fai maʻuaipē ki ai, pea ʻoku ʻikai fanongo mo ngalo, ka ʻoku fai ʻe ia ʻae ngāue, ʻe monūʻia ʻae tangata ni ʻi heʻene ngāue.
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 Kapau ʻoku ai ha taha ʻiate kimoutolu ʻoku ne mahalo ko e lotu ia, kae ʻikai taʻofi hono ʻelelo, kae kākaaʻi hono loto ʻoʻona, ʻoku taʻeʻaonga ʻae lotu ʻae tangata ko ia.
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 Ko e lotu māʻoniʻoni mo taʻehanomele ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua ko e Tamai, ko eni ia, Ke ʻaʻahi ki he ngaahi tamai mate mo e kau fefine kuo mate honau husepāniti, ʻi heʻenau mamahi, pea ke fakaʻehiʻehi ia mei māmani ke taʻehanomele.
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.
