Jakovljeva poslanica 1

1 Jakov, sluga Boga i Gospodina Isusa Krista, piše dvanaestorim plemenima rasijanima među poganima i pozdravlja ih.

Vjera i postojanost

2 Draga braćo i sestre, kad god zapadnete u kušnju, smatrajte da se imate čemu radovati.3 Jer kad vam je vjera na kušnji, jača vaša postojanost.

4 Zato je pustite da se potpuno razvije, da postanete besprijekornima, bez ikakva nedostatka.
5 Treba li vam mudrosti, iskajte ju od Boga koji je svima daje rado, obilno i bez prigovora.6 Ali tražite s vjerom, ne sumnjajući da ćete dobiti, jer čovjek koji sumnja nestalan je kao morski valovi koje vjetar lako baca amo-tamo.7 Takav neka se ne nada išta primiti od Gospodina

8 jer je čovjek podijeljene duše, nepostojan na svim svojim putovima.
9 Neka se kršćanin niskoga položaja ponosi time što ga je Bog uzvisio,10 a bogataš time što ga je ponizio, jer će nestati poput poljskoga cvijeta.

11 Sunce žarko zasja, biljka usahne i cvijet joj otpadne te sva njegova ljepota nestane. Tako će i bogataši usahnuti na svojim putovima.
12 Blago čovjeku koji odolijeva kušnji. Kad se pokaže prokušanim, dobit će vijenac života koji je Bog obećao svima koji ga ljube.13 Neka nitko od vas u napasti ne kaže: "Bog me napastuje." Niti se Boga može napastovati da čini zlo, niti on koga napastuje.14 Svakoga, naprotiv, napastuje njegova vlastita požuda koja ga privlači i mami.

15 Požuda zatim začne i rodi grijeh, a kad se grijeh potpuno razvije, rađa smrt.
16 Zato se ne dajte varati, ljubljena braćo.17 Sve što je dobro i savršeno dolazi nam odozgora, od Boga koji je stvorio sva nebeska svjetlila. Za razliku od njih, on se nikada ne mijenja; u njemu nema sjene zbog mijena.

18 On nas je dragovoljno rodio riječju istine, da budemo prvenci iznad svih stvorenja.

Poslušnost i djela

19 Upamtite, draga braćo: svatko bi trebao biti brz na slušanju, spor na pričanju i spor na srdžbi

20 jer ljudska srdžba ne može postupati prema Božjoj pravednosti.
21 Zato izbacite iz svojih života svako zlo i prljavštinu te ponizno prihvatite Božju poruku zasađenu u svoja srca jer ona može spasiti vaše duše.22 I ne zaboravite da tu poruku nije dostatno samo slušati već treba i postupati prema njoj. Inače sami sebe zavaravate.23 Jer ako samo slušate Riječ, a ne vršite ju, onda ste poput čovjeka koji pogleda vlastito lice u zrcalu,24 ali čim se promotri, odmah ode ne popravivši što je trebalo i zaboravi kako izgleda.

25 Ali tko se ogleda u savršenomu Božjem zakonu - zakonu koji oslobađa - i nije samo zaboravan slušatelj, nego ga zaista i izvršava, Bog će ga blagosloviti u svemu što čini.
26 Umišlja li tko da je pobožan, a ne obuzdava svoj jezik, sam sebe vara jer je njegova pobožnost nevrijedna.

27 Želite li da vaša pobožnost u očima Boga Oca bude čista i neokaljana, pomažite sirotama i udovicama u njihovoj nevolji i čuvajte se neokaljanima od pokvarenosti ovoga svijeta.

James 1

Salutation

1 From James,t a slavets of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad.t Greetings!

Joy in Trials

2 My brothers and sisters,t consider it nothing but joyt when you fall into all sorts of trials,3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.4 And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.5 But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him.6 But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind.7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,

8 since he is a double-minded individual,ts unstable in all his ways.
9 Now the believert of humble meanst should take pridet in his high position.t10 But the rich person’s pride should be in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a wildflower in the meadow.t11 For the sun rises with its heat and dries up the meadow; the petal of the flower falls off and its beauty is lost forever.t So also the rich person in the midst of his pursuits will wither away.12 Happy is the onet who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that Gods promised to those who love him.13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil,t and he himself tempts no one.14 But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires.15 Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.16 Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters.t17 All generous giving and every perfect giftt is from above, coming downt from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change.t

18 By his sovereign plan he gave us birtht through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Living Out the Message

19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters!t Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.20 For humant anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.s21 So put away all filth and evil excess and humblyt welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls.22 But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves.23 For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someonet who gazes at his own facet in a mirror.24 For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgetst what sort of person he was.25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there,t and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out – het will be blessed in what he does.t26 If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile.

27 Pure and undefiled religion beforet God the Fathert is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.