James: Revised Murdock Translation

Chapters 1 and 2 are from the Aramaic English Standard Version

Chapter 1

¹ Ya'aqub, a servant of Alaha, and of Maran Yeshua Mshikha, to the twelve tribes scattered among the goyim. Shalom!

² Let it be a joy to you, my brethren, when you enter into many and various trials. ³ For you know the trial of faith makes you increase patience. ⁴ And let patience have its perfect work, so that you may be complete and perfect, and may lack in nothing.

⁵ And if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of Alaha who gives to all freely and with love, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, without hesitating; for he who hesitates is like the waves of the sea, which the wind tosses around. ⁷ And such a man should not expect to receive any thing of Mar-Yah, ⁸ who is hesitating in his mind, and unstable in all of his ways.

⁹ And let the humble brother rejoice because he is exalted; ¹⁰ and the rich, in his humbleness because, like the flower of the grass, he passes away. ¹¹ For the sun rises in its heat, and dries up the grass; and its flower falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes; it is the same with the rich man because he withers in his ways.

¹² Blessed is the man who endures trials so that when he is proved he may receive a crown of life, which Alaha has promised to those who love him. ¹³ Let no one when he is tempted, say, 'I am tempted by Alaha'; for Alaha is not tempted with evils, nor does he tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But every man is tempted by his own lust, and he desires and is enticed. ¹⁵ And this lust conceives, and brings forth sin; and sin, when mature, brings forth death.

¹⁶ Do not err, my beloved brethren. ¹⁷ Every good and perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, not even a shadow of variation. ¹⁸ By his own will he fathered us by the word of truth so that we might be the first-fruits of his creatures.

¹⁹ My beloved brethren, every one of you be quick to hear and slow to speak and slow to anger; ²⁰ for the wrath of man does not bring the righteousness of Alaha. ²¹ Therefore, remove yourself from all impurity and the abundance of wickedness; and, with meekness, receive the word that is firmly planted in our nature, which is able to save your souls. ²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if any man shall be a hearer of the word, and not a doer of it, he will be like one who sees his face in a mirror; ²⁴ for he sees himself, and passes on, and forgets what his appearance was. ²⁵ But all who look upon the perfect law of liberty and abides in it, is not a hearer of something to be forgotten, but a doer of the things; such a man will be blessed in his work.

²⁶ And if anyone thinks that he worships Alaha, and does not control his tongue, his heart deceives him and his worship is in vain. ²⁷ For service that is pure and holy before Abba Alaha, is this: to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and to keep himself spotless from the world.

Chapters 3-5 are from the Revised Murdock Version of the Syriac

Chapter 3

¹ Let there not be many teachers among you, my brethren; but know you, that we are obnoxious to , a severer judgment.

² For we all offend in many things. Whoever offends not in discourse, is a perfect man, who can also keep his whole body in subjection.

³ Behold, we put bridles into the mouth of horses, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

⁴ Huge ships also, when strong winds drive them, are turned about by a small timber, to what place the pleasure of the pilot looks.

⁵ So likewise the tongue is a small member, and it exalts itself. Also a little fire inflames large forests.

⁶ Now the tongue is a fire, and the world of sin is like a forest. And this tongue, which is one among our members, mars our whole body; and it inflames the series of our generations that roll on like a wheel; and it is itself on fire.

⁷ For all natures of beasts and birds and reptiles, of the sea or land, are subjugated by the nature of man.

⁸ But the tongue has no one been able to tame: it is an evil thing, not coercible, and full of deadly poison.

⁹ For with it, we bless Mar-Yah and Father; and with it we curse men, who were made in the image of Alaha:

¹⁰ and from the same mouth, proceed curses and blessings. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

¹¹ Can there flow from the same fountain, sweet waters and bitter?

¹² Or can the fig-tree, my brethren, bear olives? or the vine, figs ? So also salt waters cannot be made sweet.

¹³ Who is wise and instructed among you ? Let him show his works in praiseworthy actions, with modest wisdom.

¹⁴ But if bitter envy be in you, or contention in your hearts, exalt not yourselves against the truth, and lie not.

¹⁵ For this wisdom comes not down from above; but is earthly, and from the devices of the soul, and from demons.

¹⁶ For where envy and contention are, there also is confusion, and every thing wrong.

¹⁷ But the wisdom which is from above, is pure, and full of peace, and mild, and submissive, and full of compassion and of good fruits, and without partiality, and without respect of persons.

¹⁸ And the fruits of righteousness are sown in stillness, by them who make peace.

Chapter 4

¹ Where is it, that there are among you fightings and broils ? Is it not from the lusts, which war in your members?

² You covet, and possess not; and you kill, and envy, and effect nothing: and you fight and make attacks; and you have not, because you ask not.

³ You ask, and receive not; because you ask wickedly, that you may pamper your lusts.

⁴ You adulterers, know you not, that the love of the world is hostility towards Alaha ? He therefore who chooses to be a lover of this world, is the enemy of Alaha.

⁵ Or think you, that the scripture has vainly said: The spirit dwelling in us lusts with envy?

⁶ But Maran has given us more grace. Therefore he said: Alaha humbles the lofty, and gives grace to the lowly.

⁷ Subject yourselves therefore to Alaha; and stand firm against Satan, and he will flee from you.

⁸ Draw close to Alaha, and he will draw close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners: sanctify your hearts, you divided in mind.

⁹ Humble yourselves, and mourn: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into grief.

¹⁰ Humble yourselves before Mar-Yah, and he will exalt you.

¹¹ Do not speak against each other, my brethren; for he that speaks against his brother, or judges his brother, speaks against Torah, and judges Torah. And if you judge Torah, you are not Torah observant, but its judge.

¹² There is one Law-giver and Judge, who can make alive, and [can] destroy: but who are you, that you judge your neighbor ?

¹³ But what shall we say of those, who say: To-day or to-morrow we will go to such or such a city, and will abide there a year; and we will traffic, and get gain ?

¹⁴ And they know not what will be to-morrow: for what is our life, but an exhalation that is seen a little while, and then vanishes and is gone ?

¹⁵ Whereas they should say: If Mar-Yah please, and we live, we will do this or that.

¹⁶ They glory in their vaunting. All such glorying is evil.

¹⁷ He that knows the good, and does it not, to him is sin.

Chapter 5

¹ O you rich ones, wail and weep, on account of the miseries that are coming upon you.

² For your wealth is spoiled and putrid; and your garments are moth-eaten:

³ and your gold and your silver have contracted rust; and the rust of them will be testimony against you; and it will eat your flesh. You have heaped up a fire to you against the latter days.

⁴ Behold, the wages of the laborers who have reaped your ground, which you have wrongfully retained, cries out; and the clamor of the reapers has entered the ears of Mar-Yah of Sabaoth.

⁵ For you have lived in pleasure on the earth, and revelled, and feasted your bodies as in a day of slaughter.

⁶ You have condemned and slain the just, and none resisted you.

⁷ But, my brethren, be you patient until the advent of Mar-Yah; like the husbandman, who waits for the precious fruits of his ground, and is patient as to them, until he receive the early and the latter rain.

⁸ So also be you patient, and fortify your hearts; for the advent of Maran draws nigh

⁹ Be not querulous one against another, my brethren, lest you be judged: for lo, the judgment , stands before the door.

¹⁰ For patience in your afflictions, my brethren, take to you the example of the prophets, who spoke in the Name of Mar-Yah.

¹¹ For lo, we ascribe blessedness to them who have borne suffering. You have heard of the patience of Job; and you have seen the result which Mar-Yah wrought for him: for Mar-Yah is merciful and compassionate.

¹² But above all things, my brethren, swear you not; neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath: but let your language be yes, yes, and no, no, lest you become obnoxious to judgment.

¹³ And if any of you shall be in affliction, let him pray; or if he be joyous, let him sing psalms.

¹⁴ And if one is sick, let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray for him, and anoint him with oil in the name of Maran:

¹⁵ and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and Maran will raise him up; and if sins have been committed by him, they will be forgiven him.

¹⁶ And confess you your faults one to another, and pray you one for another, that you may be healed; for great is the efficacy of the prayer which a righteous man prays.

¹⁷ Eliyahu also was a man of sensations like us, and he prayed that rain might not descend upon the earth; and it descended not, for three years and six months.

¹⁸ And again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth gave forth its fruits.

¹⁹ My brethren, if one of you err from the way of truth, and any one convert him from his error;

²⁰ let him know, that he who turns the sinner from the error of his way, will resuscitate his soul from death, and will cover the multitude of his sins.