James 1
1 [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].
īśvarasya prabho ryīśukhrīṣṭasya ca dāso yākūb vikīrṇībhūtān dvādaśaṁ vaṁśān prati namaskṛtya patraṁ likhati|
2 My fellow believers, rejoice greatly, [even] when you experience various kinds of difficulties/troubles.
he mama bhrātaraḥ, yūyaṁ yadā bahuvidhaparīkṣāṣu nipatata tadā tat pūrṇānandasya kāraṇaṁ manyadhvaṁ|
3 [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.
yato yuṣmākaṁ viśvāsasya parīkṣitatvena dhairyyaṁ sampādyata iti jānītha|
4 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]).
tacca dhairyyaṁ siddhaphalaṁ bhavatu tena yūyaṁ siddhāḥ sampūrṇāśca bhaviṣyatha kasyāpi guṇasyābhāvaśca yuṣmākaṁ na bhaviṣyati|
5 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].
yuṣmākaṁ kasyāpi jñānābhāvo yadi bhavet tarhi ya īśvaraḥ saralabhāvena tiraskārañca vinā sarvvebhyo dadāti tataḥ sa yācatāṁ tatastasmai dāyiṣyate|
6 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].
kintu sa niḥsandehaḥ san viśvāsena yācatāṁ yataḥ sandigdho mānavo vāyunā cālitasyotplavamānasya ca samudrataraṅgasya sadṛśo bhavati|
7 Indeed, people [who doubt] should not think that the Lord [God] will do anything [that they request him to do],
tādṛśo mānavaḥ prabhoḥ kiñcit prāpsyatīti na manyatāṁ|
8 [because they are] people who cannot decide [whether they will commit themselves to God, and they are] unstable/undecided in everything that they do.
dvimanā lokaḥ sarvvagatiṣu cañcalo bhavati|
9 Believers who are poor should be happy [that God] considers them very valuable (OR, has exalted them [spiritually]) [MTY].
yo bhrātā namraḥ sa nijonnatyā ślāghatāṁ|
10 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].
yaśca dhanavān sa nijanamratayā ślāghatāṁyataḥ sa tṛṇapuṣpavat kṣayaṁ gamiṣyati|
11 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].
yataḥ satāpena sūryyeṇoditya tṛṇaṁ śoṣyate tatpuṣpañca bhraśyati tena tasya rūpasya saundaryyaṁ naśyati tadvad dhaniloko'pi svīyamūḍhatayā mlāsyati|
12 [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.
yo janaḥ parīkṣāṁ sahate sa eva dhanyaḥ, yataḥ parīkṣitatvaṁ prāpya sa prabhunā svapremakāribhyaḥ pratijñātaṁ jīvanamukuṭaṁ lapsyate|
13 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.
īśvaro māṁ parīkṣata iti parīkṣāsamaye ko'pi na vadatu yataḥ pāpāyeśvarasya parīkṣā na bhavati sa ca kamapi na parīkṣate|
14 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].
kintu yaḥ kaścit svīyamanovāñchayākṛṣyate lobhyate ca tasyaiva parīkṣā bhavati|
15 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.
tasmāt sā manovāñchā sagarbhā bhūtvā duṣkṛtiṁ prasūte duṣkṛtiśca pariṇāmaṁ gatvā mṛtyuṁ janayati|
16 My fellow believers whom I love, stop deceiving yourselves, [thinking that God does evil things].
he mama priyabhrātaraḥ, yūyaṁ na bhrāmyata|
17 [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].
yat kiñcid uttamaṁ dānaṁ pūrṇo varaśca tat sarvvam ūrddhvād arthato yasmin daśāntaraṁ parivarttanajātacchāyā vā nāsti tasmād dīptyākarāt pituravarohati|
18 [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].
tasya sṛṣṭavastūnāṁ madhye vayaṁ yat prathamaphalasvarūpā bhavāmastadarthaṁ sa svecchātaḥ satyamatasya vākyenāsmān janayāmāsa|
19 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,
ataeva he mama priyabhrātaraḥ, yuṣmākam ekaiko janaḥ śravaṇe tvaritaḥ kathane dhīraḥ krodhe'pi dhīro bhavatu|
20 because when any one [of you gets] angry, you will not be doing the righteous things that God [wants] you [to do].
yato mānavasya krodha īśvarīyadharmmaṁ na sādhayati|
21 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].
ato heto ryūyaṁ sarvvām aśucikriyāṁ duṣṭatābāhulyañca nikṣipya yuṣmanmanasāṁ paritrāṇe samarthaṁ ropitaṁ vākyaṁ namrabhāvena gṛhlīta|
22 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].
aparañca yūyaṁ kevalam ātmavañcayitāro vākyasya śrotāro na bhavata kintu vākyasya karmmakāriṇo bhavata|
23 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].
yato yaḥ kaścid vākyasya karmmakārī na bhūtvā kevalaṁ tasya śrotā bhavati sa darpaṇe svīyaśārīrikavadanaṁ nirīkṣamāṇasya manujasya sadṛśaḥ|
24 Although he looks at himself, he goes away [from the mirror] and immediately forgets what he looks like.
ātmākāre dṛṣṭe sa prasthāya kīdṛśa āsīt tat tatkṣaṇād vismarati|
25 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.
kintu yaḥ kaścit natvā mukteḥ siddhāṁ vyavasthām ālokya tiṣṭhati sa vismṛtiyuktaḥ śrotā na bhūtvā karmmakarttaiva san svakāryye dhanyo bhaviṣyati|
26 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).
anāyattarasanaḥ san yaḥ kaścit svamano vañcayitvā svaṁ bhaktaṁ manyate tasya bhakti rmudhā bhavati|
27 [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.
kleśakāle pitṛhīnānāṁ vidhavānāñca yad avekṣaṇaṁ saṁsārācca niṣkalaṅkena yad ātmarakṣaṇaṁ tadeva piturīśvarasya sākṣāt śuci rnirmmalā ca bhaktiḥ|
