James 1
1
1 #
Mt 13.55; Mk 6.3; Ac 15.13; Ga 1.19. From James, a servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Greetings to the twelve tribes scattered all over the world.#1.1 twelve tribes scattered all over the world: James is saying that the Lord's followers are like the tribes of Israel that were scattered everywhere by their enemies.
Faith and Wisdom
2 #
Ws 3.5,6. My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. 3You know you learn to endure by having your faith tested. 4But you must learn to endure everything, so you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.
5 #
Ws 8.21; Si 51.13,14. If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won't correct you for asking. 6But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. 7-8If you are that kind of person, you can't make up your mind, and you surely can't be trusted. So don't expect the Lord to give you anything at all.
Poor People and Rich People
9Any of God's people who are poor should be glad he thinks so highly of them. 10#Is 40.6,7 (LXX). But any who are rich should be glad when God makes them humble. Rich people will disappear like wild flowers 11scorched by the burning heat of the sun. The flowers lose their blossoms, and their beauty is destroyed. This is how the rich will disappear, as they go about their business.
Trials and Temptations
12 #
4 Macc 9.8. God will bless you, if you don't give up when your faith is being tested. He will reward you with a glorious life,#1.12 a glorious life: The Greek text has “the crown of life.” In ancient times an athlete who had won a contest was rewarded with a crown of flowers as a sign of victory. just as he rewards everyone who loves him.
13 #
Si 15.11-20. Don't blame God when you are tempted! God cannot be tempted by evil, and he doesn't use evil to tempt others. 14We are tempted by our own desires that drag us off and trap us. 15Our desires make us sin, and when sin is finished with us, it leaves us dead.
16Don't be fooled, my dear friends. 17Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing. 18He wanted us to be his own special people,#1.18 his own special people: The Greek text has “the first of his creatures.” The Law of Moses taught that the first-born of all animals and the first part of the harvest were special and belonged to the Lord. and so he sent the true message to give us new birth.
Hearing and Obeying
19 #
Si 5.11. My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. 20If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things God wants done. 21You must stop doing anything immoral or evil. Instead be humble and accept the message planted in you to save you.
22Obey God's message! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it. 23If you hear the message and don't obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror 24and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. 25But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don't just hear and forget.
26If you think you are being religious, but can't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is useless. 27Religion that pleases God the Father must be pure and spotless. You must help needy orphans and widows and not let this world make you evil.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Ya'akov 1
1
1Ya'akov,#1:1 See Mt 13:55 eved (servant) of Hashem and of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua; To the Shneym Asar HaShevatim (Twelve Tribes) in the Golus, Shalom!#1:1 Dt 32:26
2Consider it all simcha, my Achim b'Moshiach, whenever you fall into various nisayonos (tests, trials),
3Because you have da'as that the emunah you have, when it is tested, produces savlanut (patient endurance).
4And let savlanut be shleimah in its po'al (work) in order that you may be mevugarim (mature, grown up) and complete, lacking in nothing.
5But if any one of you is lacking chochmah (wisdom), let him direct tefillah (prayer) and techinot (petitions) to Hashem, the One whose matanot (gifts) are given generously and without grudging, and chochmah will be given to him.#1:5 1Kgs 3:9,10; Prov 2:3-6; Ps 51:6; Dan 1:17; 2:21
6But let the tefillah be offered with much bitachon in emunah (faith), in no way doubting. For the doubtful man, wavering in emunah, is like a wave of the yam (sea), being tossed by the wind.#1:6 1Kgs 18:21
7Let not such a one presume that he will receive anything from Adoneinu.
8He is an ish (man) of double mind, in all his drakhim (ways), mesupak (uncertain, having doubts) and unstable.#1:8 Ps 119:113
9But let the Ach b'Moshiach of shiflut (lowliness) glory in the da'as that Hashem will exalt him.
10And let the Ach b'Moshiach who has osher (riches) glory in his bizyoinos (humiliation), in the da'as that Hashem will bring him low, because KOL HABASAR KHATZIR#1:10 Isa 40:6,7 (All flesh is grass) and so he likewise will vanish.#1:10 Job 14:2; Ps 103:15,16
11For the shemesh (sun) rose with its burning heat and dried the grass and its TZITZ NAVEL#1:11 Isa 40:6-8 (flower blossom fell). And the beauty of its appearance perished, so also the “oisher” (rich man) in his goings will fade away.#1:11 Ps 102:4,11
12Ashrey is the one who stands up under nisayon (trial), because, having become approved, that one will be given the Ateret HaChayyim (Crown of Life), which Hashem gave as a havtachah (promise) to those having Ahavas Hashem.
13However, let no one say, when he is tempted, “From Hashem I am being tempted,” for Hashem cannot be tempted to crave ra'ah (evil), and He Himself trips up no one with nisayon (temptation).
14But each one is tempted by his own ta'avah (lust, yetzer hara), being dragged off by it and being allured.#1:14 Prov 19:3
15Then after her conception Ta'avah gives birth to Averah (Transgression) and Averah, once she has fully developed, gives birth to Mavet.#1:15 Gn 3:6; Job 15:35; Ps 7:14; Isa 59:4
16Do not fall under a delusion, my beloved Achim b'Moshiach.
17Every good endowment and every matanah shleimah (complete gift) is from above, coming down from Avi HaOhrot (the Father of Lights) with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.#1:17 Ps 85:12; Gn 1:16; Ps 136:7; Dan 2:22; Num 23:19; Ps 102:27; Mal 3:6
18Birtzon Hashem (by the will of G-d), he gave birth to us by the Dvar HaEmes, that we might be a kind of bikkurim (firstfruits) of all he created.#1:18 Jer 2:3
19Have da'as of this, my beloved Achim b'Moshiach. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to ka'as (anger).#1:19 Prov 10:19
20For the ka'as of Bnei Adam does not accomplish the Tzikat Hashem.
21Therefore, having put away all filthiness and what remains of resha (wickedness) in shiflut (lowliness) and meekness receive the implanted Dvar Hashem which is able to save your nefashot.#1:21 Rv 3:20
22Now be Shomrei HaDvar Hashem and not Shomei HaDvar only, thereby causing yourselves to fall under remiyah (deceit, deception).
23Because if anyone is Shomei HaDavar and not Shomrei HaDavar, this one is like a man looking at his ponum in a mirror,
24For he observed himself and has gone away and immediately forgot what he looked like.
25But the one having peered into the Torah HaShleimah (the Perfect Torah), the Torah HaCherut (the Torah of Freedom), and there remaining, not as a forgetful listener but one who is shomer mitzvot and goes into action, this one will have a bracha on his head in all his acts.#1:25 Ps 19:7
26If anyone considers himself to be one of the Charedim [Orthodox, G-d-fearing Jewish religious ones], yet has lashon hora and does not bridle his tongue but instead causes his lev to fall under remiyah (deceit), this oneʼs chasidus (piety) is worthless.#1:26 Ps 34:13; 39:1; 141:3
27Avodas Kodesh that is tehorah (pure) and tamimah (unblemished) before Elohim HaAv is this: to visit yetomim (orphans) and almanot (widows) in their tzoros and to be shomer against the defilement of the Olam Hazeh.#1:27 Dt 14:29; Job 31:16,17,21; Ps 146:9; Isa 1:17,23
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.