Iacobi 1
1 Iacobus Dei, et Domini nostri Iesu Christi servus, duodecim tribubus, quae sunt in dispersione, salutem.
James, the seruaunt of God, and of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, to the twelue kinredis, that ben in scatering abrood, helthe.
2 Omne gaudium existimate fratres mei, cum in tentationes varias incideritis:
My britheren, deme ye al ioye, whanne ye fallen in to diuerse temptaciouns, witynge,
3 scientes quod probatio fidei vestrae patientiam operatur.
that the preuyng of youre feith worchith pacience;
4 Patientia autem opus perfectum habet: ut sitis perfecti et integri in nullo deficientes.
and pacience hath a perfit werk, that ye be perfit and hole, and faile in no thing.
5 Si quis autem vestrum indiget sapientia, postulet a Deo, qui dat omnibus affluenter, et non improperat: et dabitur ei.
And if ony of you nedith wisdom, axe he of God, which yyueth to alle men largeli, and vpbreidith not; and it schal be youun to hym.
6 Postulet autem in fide nihil haesitans: qui enim haesitat, similis est fluctui maris, qui a vento movetur et circumfertur.
But axe he in feith, and doute no thing; for he that doutith, is lijk to a wawe of the see, which is moued and borun a boute of wynde.
7 non ergo aestimet homo ille quod accipiat aliquid a Domino.
Therfor gesse not the ilke man, that he schal take ony thing of the Lord.
8 Vir duplex animo inconstans est in omnibus viis suis.
A man dowble in soule is vnstable in alle hise weies.
9 Glorietur autem frater humilis in exaltatione sua:
And a meke brother haue glorie in his enhaunsyng,
10 dives autem in humilitate sua, quoniam sicut flos foeni transibit:
and a riche man in his lownesse; for as the flour of gras he schal passe.
11 exortus est enim sol cum ardore, et arefecit foenum, et flos eius decidit, et decor vultus eius deperiit: ita et dives in itineribus suis marcescet.
The sunne roos vp with heete, and driede the gras, and the flour of it felde doun, and the fairnesse of his chere perischide; and so a riche man welewith in hise weies.
12 Beatus vir, qui suffert tentationem: quoniam cum probatus fuerit, accipiet coronam vitae, quam repromisit Deus diligentibus se.
Blessid is the man, that suffrith temptacioun; for whanne he schal be preued, he schal resseyue the coroun of lijf, which God biheyte to men that louen hym.
13 Nemo cum tentatur, dicat quoniam a Deo tentatur: Deus enim intentator malorum est: ipse autem neminem tentat.
No man whanne he is temptid, seie, that he is temptid of God; for whi God is not a temptere of yuele thingis, for he temptith no man.
14 Unusquisque vero tentatur a concupiscentia sua abstractus, et illectus.
But ech man is temptid, drawun and stirid of his owne coueiting.
15 Deinde concupiscentia cum conceperit, parit peccatum: peccatum vero cum consummatum fuerit, generat mortem.
Aftirward coueityng, whanne it hath conseyued, bringith forth synne; but synne, whanne it is fillid, gendrith deth.
16 Nolite itaque errare fratres mei dilectissimi.
Therfor, my most dereworthe britheren, nyle ye erre.
17 Omne datum optimum, et omne donum perfectum desursum est, descendens a Patre luminum, apud quem non est transmutatio, nec vicissitudinis obumbratio.
Ech good yifte, and ech perfit yifte is from aboue, and cometh doun fro the fadir of liytis, anentis whom is noon other chaungyng, ne ouerschadewyng of reward.
18 Voluntarie enim genuit nos verbo veritatis, ut simus initium aliquod creaturae eius.
For wilfulli he bigat vs bi the word of treuthe, that we be a bigynnyng of his creature.
19 Scitis fratres mei dilectissimi. Sit autem omnis homo velox ad audiendum: tardus autem ad loquendum, et tardus ad iram.
Wite ye, my britheren moost loued, be ech man swift to here, but slow to speke, and slow to wraththe;
20 Ira enim viri, iustitiam Dei non operatur.
for the wraththe of man worchith not the riytwisnesse of God.
21 Propter quod abiicientes omnem immunditiam, et abundantiam malitiae, in mansuetudine suscipite insitum verbum, quod potest salvare animas vestras.
For which thing caste ye awei al vnclennesse, and plentee of malice, and in myldenesse resseyue ye the word that is plauntid, that may saue youre soulis.
22 Estote autem factores verbi, et non auditores tantum: fallentes vosmetipsos.
But be ye doeris of the word, and not hereris oneli, disseiuynge you silf.
23 Quia si quis auditor est verbi, et non factor: hic comparabitur viro consideranti vultum nativitatis suae in speculo:
For if ony man is an herere of the word, and not a doere, this schal be licned to a man that biholdith the cheer of his birthe in a mirour;
24 consideravit enim se, et abiit, et statim oblitus est qualis fuerit.
for he bihelde hym silf, and wente awei, and anoon he foryat which he was.
25 Qui autem perspexerit in lege perfectae libertatis, et permanserit in ea, non auditor obliviosus factus, sed factor operis: hic beatus in facto suo erit.
But he that biholdith in the lawe of perfit fredom, and dwellith in it, and is not maad a foryetful herere, but a doere of werk, this schal be blessid in his dede.
26 Si quis autem putat se religiosum esse, non refrenans linguam suam, sed seducens cor suum, huius vana est religio.
And if ony man gessith hym silf to be religiouse, and refreyneth not his tunge, but disseyueth his herte, the religioun of him is veyn.
27 Religio munda, et immaculata apud Deum et Patrem, haec est: Visitare pupillos, et viduas in tribulatione eorum, et immaculatum se custodire ab hoc saeculo.
A clene religioun, and an vnwemmed anentis God and the fadir, is this, to visite fadirles and modirles children, and widewis in her tribulacioun, and to kepe hym silf vndefoulid fro this world.
