James 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: Greetings.

1 مِنْ يَعْقُوبَ، عَبْدِ اللهِ وَالرَّبِّ يَسُوعَ الْمَسِيحِ، إِلَى أَسْبَاطِ الْيَهُودِ الاثْنَيْ عَشَرَ، الْمُشَتَّتِينَ فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ سَلامٌ!

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,

2 يَا إِخْوَتِي، عِنْدَمَا تَنْزِلُ بِكُمُ التَّجَارِبُ وَالْمِحَنُ الْمُخْتَلِفَةُ، اعْتَبِرُوهَا سَبِيلاً إِلَى الْفَرَحِ الْكُلِّيِّ.

3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

3 وَكُونُوا عَلَى ثِقَةٍ بِأَنَّ امْتِحَانَ إِيمَانِكُمْ هَذَا يُنْتِجُ صَبْراً.

4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

4 وَدَعُوا الصَّبْرَ يَعْمَلُ عَمَلَهُ الْكَامِلَ فِيكُمْ، لِكَيْ يَكْتَمِلَ نُضْجُكُمْ وَتَصِيرُوا أَقْوِيَاءَ قَادِرِينَ عَلَى مُوَاجَهَةِ جَمِيعِ الأَحْوَالِ.

5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

5 وَإِنْ كَانَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ بِحَاجَةٍ إِلَى الْحِكْمَةِ، فَلْيَطْلُبْ مِنَ اللهِ الَّذِي يُعْطِي الْجَمِيعَ بِسَخَاءٍ وَلا يُعَيِّرُ. فَسَيُعْطَى لَهُ.

6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

6 وَإِنَّمَا، عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَطْلُبَ ذَلِكَ بِإِيمَانٍ، دُونَ أَيِّ تَرَدُّدٍ أَوْ شَكٍّ. فَإِنَّ الَّذِي يَشُكُّ يُشْبِهُ مَوْجَةَ الْبَحْرِ، تَتَلاعَبُ بِها الرِّيَاحُ فَتَقْذِفُهَا وَتَرُدُّهَا!

7 That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

7 فَلا يَتَوَهَّمِ الْمُرْتَابُ أَنَّهُ يَنَالُ شَيْئاً مِنَ الرَّبِّ.

8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

8 فَعِنْدَمَا يَكُونُ الإِنْسَانُ بِرَأْيَيْنِ، لَا يَثْبُتُ عَلَى قَرَارٍ فِي جَمِيعِ أُمُورِهِ.

9 The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.

9 مَنْ كَانَ فَقِيراً وَأَخاً مُؤْمِناً، فَلْيُسَرَّ بِمَقَامِهِ الَّذِي رَفَعَهُ اللهُ إِلَيْهِ.

10 But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.

10 وَأَمَّا الْغَنِيُّ، فَعَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُدْرِكَ أَنَّ مَالَهُ لَا يُغْنِيهِ عَنِ اللهِ: لأَنَّ نِهَايَتَهُ سَتَكُونُ كَنِهَايَةِ الأَعْشَابِ الْمُزْهِرَةِ.

11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

11 فَعِنْدَمَا تُشْرِقُ الشَّمْسُ بِحَرِّهَا الْمُحْرِقِ، تُيَبِّسُ تِلْكَ الأَعْشَابَ، فَيَسْقُطُ زَهْرُهَا، وَيَتَلاشَى جَمَالُ مَنْظَرِهَا. هَكَذَا يَذْبُلُ الْغَنِيُّ فِي طُرُقِهِ!

12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

12 طُوبَى لِمَنْ يَتَحَمَّلُ الْمِحْنَةَ بِصَبْرٍ. فَإِنَّهُ، بَعْدَ أَنْ يَجْتَازَ الامْتِحَانَ بِنَجَاحٍ، سَيَنَالُ «إِكْلِيلَ الْحَيَاةِ» الَّذِي وَعَدَ بِهِ الرَّبُّ مُحِبِّيهِ!

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.

13 وَإذَا تَعَرَّضَ أَحَدٌ لِتَجْرِبَةٍ مَا، فَلا يَقُلْ: «إِنَّ اللهَ يُجَرِّبُنِي!» ذَلِكَ لأَنَّ اللهَ لَا يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يُجَرِّبَهُ الشَّرُّ، وَهُوَ لَا يُجَرِّبُ بِهِ أَحَداً.

14 But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.

14 وَلَكِنَّ الإِنْسَانَ يَسْقُطُ فِي التَّجْرِبَةِ حِينَ يَنْدَفِعُ مَخْدُوعاً وَرَاءَ شَهْوَتِهِ.

15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

15 فَإِذَا مَا حَبِلَتِ الشَّهْوَةُ وَلَدَتِ الْخَطِيئَةَ. وَمَتَى نَضَجَتِ الْخَطِيئَةُ، أَنْتَجَتِ الْمَوْتَ.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

16 فَيَا إِخْوَتِي الأَحِبَّاءَ، لَا تَضِلُّوا:

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.

17 إِنَّ كُلَّ عَطِيَّةٍ صَالِحَةٍ وَهِبَةٍ كَامِلَةٍ إِنَّمَا تَنْزِلُ مِنْ فَوْقُ، مِنْ عِنْدِ أَبِي الأَنْوَارِ الَّذِي لَيْسَ فِيهِ تَحَوُّلٌ، وَلا ظِلٌّ لأَنَّهُ لَا يَدُورُ.

18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.

18 وَهُوَ قَدْ شَاءَ أَنْ يَجْعَلَنَا أَوْلاداً لَهُ، فَوَلَدَنَا بِكَلِمَتِهِ، كَلِمَةِ الْحَقِّ. وَغَايَتُهُ أَنْ نَكُونَ بَاكُورَةَ خَلِيقَتِهِ.

19 My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,

19 لِذَلِكَ، يَا إِخْوَتِي الأَحِبَّاءَ، عَلَى كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ مُسْرِعاً إِلَى الإِصْغَاءِ، غَيْرَ مُتَسَرِّعٍ فِي الْكَلامِ، بَطِيءَ الْغَضَبِ.

20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.

20 لأَنَّ الإِنْسَانَ، إِذَا غَضِبَ، لَا يَعْمَلُ الصَّلاحَ الَّذِي يُرِيدُهُ اللهُ.

21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.

21 إِذَنْ، تَخَلَّصُوا مِنْ كُلِّ مَا فِي حَيَاتِكُمْ مِنْ نَجَاسَةٍ وَشَرٍّ مُتَزَايِدٍ. وَلْيَكُنْ قُبُولُكُمْ الْكَلِمَةَ الَّتِي غَرَسَهَا اللهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ، قُبُولاً وَدِيعاً. فَهِيَ الْقَادِرَةُ أَنْ تُخَلِّصَ نُفُوسَكُمْ.

22 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

22 لَا تَكْتَفُوا فَقَطْ بِسَمَاعِهَا، بَلِ اعْمَلُوا بِها، وَإلَّا كُنْتُمْ تَغُشُّونَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ.

23 For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror,

23 فَالَّذِي يَسْمَعُ الْكَلِمَةَ وَلا يَعْمَلُ بِها، يَكُونُ كَمَنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى الْمِرْآةِ لِيُشَاهِدَ وَجْهَهُ فِيهَا.

24 and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

24 وَبَعْدَ أَنْ يَرَى نَفْسَهُ، يَذْهَبُ فَيَنْسَى صُورَتَهُ حَالاً.

25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.

25 أَمَّا الَّذِي يَنْظُرُ بِالتَّدْقِيقِ فِي الْقَانُونِ الْكَامِلِ، قَانُونِ الْحُرِّيَّةِ، وَيُوَاظِبُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، فَيَكُونُ كَمَنْ يَعْمَلُ بِالْكَلِمَةِ لَا كَمَنْ يَسْمَعُهَا وَيَنْسَاهَا، فَإِنَّ اللهَ يُبَارِكُهُ كَثِيراً فِي كُلِّ مَا يَعْمَلُهُ.

26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.

26 وَإِنْ ظَنَّ أَحَدٌ أَنَّهُ مُتَدَيِّنٌ، وَهُوَ لَا يُلْجِمُ لِسَانَهُ، فَإِنَّهُ يَغُشُّ قَلْبَهُ، وَدِيَانَتُهُ غَيْرُ نَافِعَةٍ!

27 Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

27 فَالدِّيَانَةُ الطَّاهِرَةُ النَّقِيَّةُ فِي نَظَرِ اللهِ الآبِ تَظْهَرُ فِي زِيَارَةِ الأَيْتَامِ وَالأَرَامِلِ لإِعَانَتِهِمْ فِي ضِيقِهِمْ، وَفِي صِيَانَةِ النَّفْسِ مِنَ التَّلَوُّثِ بِفَسَادِ الْعَالَمِ.