-Table Of Contents-
~Jas Chapter 1 ~
1 Jacob, a slave of Elohim and of the Master Yahshua Messiah, to the twelve tribes in the Diaspora among the nations, greeting:
2 My brothers count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the proving of your faith works patience.
4 But let patience have its perfective work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from Elohim, who gives to all freely and with grace, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing. For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, being driven by wind and being tossed;
7 for do not let that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Almighty;
8 he is a double-souled man, not dependable in all his ways.
9 But let the humble brother rejoice because he is exalted;
10 and the rich one rejoice in his humiliation, because he will pass away like the flower of the grass.
11 For the sun rose with the hot wind and dried up the grass, and its flower fell out, and the beauty of its appearance perished; so also the rich one will fade away in his ways.
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because having been approved he will receive the crown of life which YAHWEH promised to the ones loving Him.
13 Let no one being tempted say, I am tempted from Elohim. For Elohim is not tempted by evil, and He tempts no one.
14 But each one is tempted by his own lusts, he covets and is seduced by them.
15 Then having conceived lust brings forth sin. And sin being fully formed brings forth death.
16 Do not go astray, my beloved brothers,
17 every act of good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Heavenly lights, with whom is no change or shifting shadow.
18 It is He who begot us from His own will, by the Word of truth, that we should be the first-fruits of His creatures.
19 Therefore, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
20 For the wrath of man does not work out the righteousness of Elohim.
21 Wherefore, remove far from you all impurity, and the abundance of wickedness; and, with meekness, receive the word that is implanted in our nature, being able to save your souls.
22 But become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the Word, and not a doer, this one is like a man studying his natural face in a mirror;
24 for he studied himself, and has gone away, and immediately he forgot how he looked.
25 But the one looking into the perfect Law of liberty, and continuing in it, this one not having become a hearer of the word which can be forgotten, but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in his labor.
26 And if any one thinks that he ministers to Elohim, and does not restrain his tongue, he deceives his own heart, and his service is in vain.
27 Pure and holy service before YAHWEH the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their afflictions, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
~Jas Chapter 2 ~
1 My brothers, do not with partiality uphold the glorious faith of our Master Yahshua Messiah.
2 For if a gold-fingered man in splendid clothing comes into your synagogue, and a poor one in shabby clothing also comes in;
3 and you look on the one wearing the splendid clothing, and say to him, You sit here comfortably; and to the poor one you say, You stand there, or, Sit here under my footstool;
4 did you not show partiality among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Hear, my beloved brothers, did not Elohim choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to the ones loving Him?
6 But you dishonored the poor one. Do not the rich ones oppress you, and they drag you before the judgment seat?
7 Do they not blaspheme the good Name called on you?
8 If you truly fulfill the royal Law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.
9 But if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin; and ye are convicted by the Torah, as transgressors of the Torah.
10 For whoever shall keep all the Torah, even though he fail in but one statute, he has become guilty as to all of it.
11 For He who said, You shall not commit adultery, also said, You shall not murder. But if you do not commit adultery, but commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the torah.
12 So speak and act as men being about to be judged through a Law of liberty.
13 For judgment will be without mercy to the one not showing mercy. And by mercy you will be raised above judgment.
14 My brothers, what is the gain if anyone says he has faith, but he does not have deeds? Is the faith able to restore life to him?
15 But if a brother or a sister is naked and may be lacking in daily food,
16 and any one of you say to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled, but does not give them the things the body needs, what gain is it?
17 So also faith, if it does not have deeds, is dead being by itself.
18 But someone will say, You have faith, and I have deeds. Show me your faith apart from your deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
19 You believe that Elohim is One (echad). You do well; even the demons believe and shudder.
20 But are you willing to know, O vain man, that faith apart from deeds is dead?
21 Was not our father Abraham justified by his deeds, offering up his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see how faith helped with his deeds; and how by his deeds the faith was made perfect.
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled, saying, “And Abraham believed YAHWEH, and it was counted for righteousness to him;” and he was called, Friend of Elohim.
24 You see then, how a man by his deeds becomes righteous, and not by faith only.
25 But in the same way Rahab the harlot was also justified by her deeds, having received the messengers, and sending them out by another way.
26 For as the body is dead apart from the spirit, so also faith without deeds is dead.
~Jas Chapter 3 ~
1 My brothers do not be many teachers, but know that we will receive a greater judgment.
2 For we all stumble in many ways. If any one does not stumble in word, this one is a mature man, also able to subdue the whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the mouths of the horses, for them to obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold, the ships also, being so great, and being driven by violent winds, they are directed by a very small rudder, wherever the one steering wishes.
5 So also the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how a little fire sets ablaze large forests!
6 Now the tongue is a fire, and the world of sin is like a forest. And this very tongue, while it is among our members, can defile our entire body; and rolls down like a wheel and set on fire the course of our entire life; and in the end it is consumed by fire.
7 For every species of beasts, both indeed of birds, of creeping things, and of sea animals, is tamed, and has been tamed by the will of man;
8 but no one of men is able to tame the tongue; it is an unrestrainable evil, full of death-dealing poison.
9 By this we bless YAHWEH, even the Father; and by this we curse men having come into being according to the image of Elohim.
10 Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, it is not fitting for these things to be so.
11 Does the fountain out of the same hole send forth the sweet and the bitter?
12 My brothers, a fig tree is not able to produce olives, or a vine, figs. So neither can a fountain produce both salt and sweet water.
13 Who is wise and knowing among you? Let him prove his works by his good behavior, in meekness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and contention in your heart, do not boast and lie against the truth.
15 This is not the wisdom coming down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and devilish
16 For where jealousy and contention are, there is confusion and every foul deed.
17 But the wisdom from above is firstly truly perfect, then peaceable, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and of good fruits, not partial and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for the ones making peace.
~Jas Chapter 4 ~
1 From where come conflicts and fightings from among you? Is it not from your lusts warring in your members?
2 You covet and yet you do not have. You murder, and are jealous, and are not able to possess. You fight and you strive, and you have nothing, because you do not ask.
3 You ask, and do not receive, because you do not ask sincerely, you ask in order that you may satisfy your lusts.
4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity with Elohim? Whoever, then, purposes to be a friend of the world is an enemy to Elohim.
5 Or do you think that vainly the Scripture says, The pride dwelling in us lusts with envy?
6 But He gives greater grace. Because of this it says, “YAHWEH sets Himself against proud ones, but He gives grace to humble ones.”
7 Then submit to YAHWEH. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to Elohim, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners! And purify your hearts, double minded ones!
9 Be distressed, and mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy into shame.
10 Be humbled before YAHWEH, and He will exalt you.
11 Do not speak against one another, brothers. He that speaks against a brother, and is judging a brother, he speaks against the Torah, and judges the Torah. But if you judge the Torah, you are not a doer of the Torah but a judge.
12 For there is One Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you who judges your neighbor?
13 Come now, those saying, Today or tomorrow we will go into this city, and we will spend one year there, and we will trade and prosper,
14 who do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? For it is a vapor, which appears for a little while, and then it disappears.
15 Instead, you should say, If YAHWEH wills, even we shall live, and we will do this or that;
16 but now you boast in your presumptions. All such pride is evil.
17 Therefore, to anyone knowing to do good, and not doing it, it is sin to him.
~Jas Chapter 5 ~
1 Come now, rich ones, weep, howl over your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches have rotted, and your garments have become moth-eaten.
3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and the rust of them will be a testimony against you; and it will eat your flesh. The treasures that you have heaped together shall be as fire to you for the latter days.
4 Behold, the wages of the workmen who have reaped your fields cry out, being kept back by you. And the cries of the ones who have reaped have entered “Into the ears of YAHWEH of Tzavoath (Hosts).” (Isa. 5:9)
5 You lived luxuriously on the earth, and lived for self-pleasure; you nourished your bodies for the day of slaughter;
6 you have condemned and murdered the righteous, and yet he does not resist you.
7 Therefore, brothers, be patient until the coming of YAHWEH. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it may receive the early and the latter rain.
8 You also be patient. Set your hearts firmly, because the coming of our Master has drawn near.
9 Do not murmur against one another, brothers, that you not be condemned. Behold, the Judge stands before the door.
10 My brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of YAHWEH (Is 8:20) as an example of your suffering, and of your patience.
11 Behold, we call those blessed who endure. You have heard of the patience of Job, and you saw what YAHWEH did for him at the end, “For YAHWEH is full of tender mercy and compassion.”
12 But above all these things, my brothers, do not swear, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor any other oath. But let your yes be yes, and the no, no, that you may not fall under judgment.
13 Does anyone suffer ill among you? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him praise in song.
14 Is any among you sick? Let him call the elders of the Congregation, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of our Master.
15 And the prayer of faith will heal those being sick, and our Master will raise him up. And if he may have committed sins, it will be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man is powerful.
17 Even Elijah was a weak man like ourselves, and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain; and it did not rain on the earth three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth caused its fruit to sprout.
19 Brethren, if anyone among you goes astray from the truth, and anyone turns him back,
20 know that the one turning a sinner from the error of his way will restore his soul from death, and will hide a multitude of sins.