Chapter 1
YA‛AQOḆ, a servant of Yah and of Adonay Yahooshua the Anointed One of Yah, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your Emunah works patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of Yah, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in Emunah, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of Yah the Eternally Self-Existing.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the Chen of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which Yah the Eternally Self-Existing has promised to them that Chesed him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of Yah: for Yah cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust has conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man works not the righteousness of Yah.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be you doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like to a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before Yah and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
CHAPTER 2
MY brethren, have not the Emunah of our Adonay Yahooshua the Anointed One of Yah, Adonay of Kavod, with respect of persons.
2 For if there come to your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
3 And you have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say to him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
4 Are you not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not Yah chosen the poor of this world rich in Emunah, and heirs of the Kingdom which he has promised to them that Chesed him?
6 But you have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which you are called?
8 If you fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt Chesed thy neighbour as thyself, you do well:
9 But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak you, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoice against judgment.
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he has Emunah, and have not works? can Emunah save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say to them, Depart in peace, be you warmed and filled; notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so Emunah, if it has not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou has Emunah, and I have works: shew me thy Emunah without thy works, and I will shew thee my Emunah by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one Mighty One; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that Emunah without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Yitshaq his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how Emunah wrought with his works, and by works was Emunah made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed Yah, and it was imputed to him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of Yah.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by Emunah only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so Emunah without works is dead also.
CHAPTER 3
MY brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of Hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we Yah, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of Yah.
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, Kavod not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is Earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
CHAPTER 4
FROM whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with Yah? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of Yah.
5 Do you think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But he gives more Chen. Wherefore he saith, Yah resisteth the proud, but gives Chen to the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to Yah. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to Yah, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of Yah the Eternally Self-Existing, and he shall lift you up.
11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaks evil of his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law, and judges the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
13 Go to now, you that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14 Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that you ought to say, If Yah the Eternally Self-Existing will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
16 But now you rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
CHAPTER 5
GO to now, you rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of Yah the Eternally Self-Existing of sabaoth.
5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the Earth, and been wanton; you have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
7 Be patient therefore, brethren, to the coming of Yah the Eternally Self-Existing. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the Earth, and has long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
8 Be you also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of Adonay draweth nigh.
9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest you be condemned: behold, the judge stands before the door.
10 Take, my brethren, the Spokesmen of Yah, who have spoken in the name of Yah the Eternally Self-Existing, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of Yah the Eternally Self-Existing; that Yah the Eternally Self-Existing is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by Heaven, neither by the Earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest you fall into condemnation.
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing Tehillim deeds.
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the assembly; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of Yah the Eternally Self-Existing:
15 And the prayer of Emunah shall save the sick, and Yah the Eternally Self-Existing shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17 EliYahoo was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the Earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the Heaven gave rain, and the Earth brought forth her fruit.
19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
20 Let him know, that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.