JAKOBUS 1
1 Van Jakobus, 'n dienaar van God en die Here Jesus Christus.
Aan die twaalf stamme wat oor die wêreld versprei is.
Groete!
Geloof en wysheid
2 My broers, julle moet baie bly wees wanneer allerlei beproewings oor julle kom, 3 want, soos julle weet, as julle geloof die toets deurstaan het, stel dit julle in staat om te volhard. 4 En die volharding moet end-uit volgehou word sodat julle tot volle geestelike rypheid kan kom, sonder enige tekortkoming. 5 As een van julle wysheid kortkom, moet hy dit van God bid, en Hy sal dit aan hom gee, want God gee aan almal sonder voorbehoud en sonder verwyt. 6 Maar 'n mens moet gelowig bid en nie twyfel nie, want iemand wat twyfel, is soos 'n brander in die see wat deur die wind aangejaag en heen en weer gedryf word. 7-8 So 'n mens wat altyd aan die twyfel is en onbestendig is in al sy doen en late, moet nie dink dat hy iets van die Here sal ontvang nie.
Arm en ryk in die gemeente
9 'n Gelowige wat arm is, moet hom daarin verheug dat hy sy aansien in God het, 10 en een wat ryk is, dat hy voor God gering is, want die ryke sal vergaan soos 'n veldblom. 11 As die son met sy gloeiende hitte opkom, verskroei dit die plantegroei, die blomme val af en die prag is daarmee heen. So sal die ryke ook tussen al sy bedrywighede deur vergaan.
Versoeking en verleiding
12 Gelukkig is die mens wat in versoeking standvastig bly. As hy die toets deurstaan het, sal hy as oorwinningsprys die lewe ontvang wat die Here belowe het aan dié wat Hom liefhet.
13 Iemand wat in versoeking kom, moet nooit sê: “Ek word deur God versoek” nie; want God kan nie verlei word nie, en self verlei Hy niemand nie. 14 Maar 'n mens word verlei deur sy eie begeertes wat hom aanlok en saamsleep. 15 Daarna, as die begeertes bevrug geraak het, bring dit die sonde voort; en as die sonde ryp geword het, loop dit uit op die dood.
16 Moenie julleself mislei nie, my liewe broers. 17 Elke goeie gawe en elke volmaakte geskenk kom van Bo. Dit kom van die Vader wat die hemelligte geskep het, maar wat self nie soos hulle verander of verduister nie. 18 Omdat dit sy wil was, het God ons deur die woord van die waarheid tot die lewe gebring, sodat ons, om dit so te stel, eerstelinge kan wees van alles wat Hy geskep het.
Hoor en doen
19 My liewe broers, dít moet julle in gedagte hou: elke mens moet maar te gewillig wees om te luister, nie te gou praat nie en nie te gou kwaad word nie. 20 'n Mens wat kwaad word, doen nie wat voor God reg is nie. 21 Daarom moet julle al die sedelike vuilheid en ongeregtigheid opruim wat so welig tier, en ootmoedig die woord aanneem wat God in julle geplant het, want dié woord kan julle red.
22 Julle moet doen wat die woord sê en dit nie net aanhoor nie, anders bedrieg julle julleself. 23 Iemand wat altyd net die woord aanhoor en nooit doen wat dit sê nie, is soos een wat na sy gesig in 'n spieël kyk: 24 hy bekyk homself, gaan van die spieël af weg en vergeet dadelik hoe hy gelyk het. 25 Maar iemand wat hom verdiep in die volmaakte wet wat 'n mens vry maak, en hom daaraan hou en nie vergeet wat hy hoor nie, maar dit doen, hy sal gelukkig wees in wat hy doen.
26 As iemand dink hy is godsdienstig, maar hy hou nie sy tong in toom nie, bedrieg hy homself. Sy godsdiens is waardeloos. 27 Egte en suiwer godsdiens voor God die Vader is om weeskinders en weduwees in hulle moeilike omstandighede by te staan en om jou skoon te hou van die besmetting van die wêreld.
James 1
1 JAMES, A servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered abroad [among the Gentiles in the dispersion]: Greetings (rejoice)!2 Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.3 Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.4 But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.5 If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.6 Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.7 For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord,8 [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].9 Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his elevation [as a Christian, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God],10 And the rich [person ought to glory] in being humbled [by being shown his human frailty], because like the flower of the grass he will pass away.11 For the sun comes up with a scorching heat and parches the grass; its flower falls off and its beauty fades away. Even so will the rich man wither and die in the midst of his pursuits. 12 Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.13 Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by [what is] evil and He Himself tempts no one.14 But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions).15 Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death.16 Do not be misled, my beloved brethren.17 Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all [that gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse].18 And it was of His own [free] will that He gave us birth [as sons] by [His] Word of Truth, so that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures [a sample of what He created to be consecrated to Himself].19 Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry.20 For man’s anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires].21 So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.22 But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].23 For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror;24 For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.25 But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious (piously observant of the external duties of his faith) and does not bridle his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person’s religious service is worthless (futile, barren).27 External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.