James 1

1 ¹James, servant of our Papa and Oga Jesus Christ, to di twelve tribes wey scatter among di nations: I greet una. ^a a v1 Di twelve tribes na di Jewish believers wey scatter for communities across di world wey no be Jew.

²My brothers and sisters, count am as correct joy anytime wey different-different trials meet una, ³because una know say wen dem test una faith, e dey produce mind wey no dey give up. ⁴Make dat mind wey no dey give up finish im work, so dat una fit grow mature and complete, wey no lack anytin.

⁵If any of una lack wisdom, make e ask our Papa, wey dey give freely to everybody without to yab person, and dem go give am. ⁶Make e ask with faith, without to doubt, because di person wey dey doubt be like sea wave wey wind dey drive and dey toss anyhow. ⁷Make dat kind person no expect to collect anytin from our Papa. ⁸Dat kind person get double mind, and e no steady for all im ways.

⁹Make di believer wey dey for low place take pride for im high position, ¹⁰but make di rich man boast for im low state, because e go pass like wildflower. ¹¹Di sun dey rise with hot-hot heat and e dey dry di grass. Im flower dey fall; im fine-fine beauty dey commot. Na so di rich man go fade away for inside all im hustle.

¹²Blessing dey for di person wey endure trial, because wen dem don test am, e go collect di crown of life wey our Papa promise to dem wey love am.

¹³Wen temptation come, make nobody talk say, “Na our Papa dey tempt me.” Evil no fit tempt our Papa, and e no dey tempt anybody. ^b b v13 James dey guard our Papa character against lie wey old like di garden — say na him be di tempter. Our Papa dey give every good gift; e no dey set trap for im pikin dem. ¹⁴But na each person own evil desire dey tempt am, dey drag am comot and dey lure am. ¹⁵Den di desire go conceive and born sin; and sin, wen e don grow finish, go born death. ¹⁶No make dem deceive una, my dear brothers and sisters. ¹⁷Every good and perfect gift dey come from up, dey come down from di Papa of lights, wey no dey change and no dey cast shadow wey dey shift. ^c c v17 James give our Papa im own special title — di Papa of lights, di source of every good gift, wey no dey shift like di sun and stars wey e make. ¹⁸Na by im own choice e born us through di word of truth, so dat we go be like di firstfruits of all im creation. ^d d v18 Firstfruits na di first and di finest part of di harvest wey dem dey offer to God; here, believers na di first and di best of all wey e create.

Hear Am, Den Live Am

¹⁹Know dis one, my dear brothers and sisters: make everybody quick to listen, slow to talk, slow to vex, ²⁰because human vex no dey produce di correct-and-holy way of our Papa. ²¹So make una comot all moral dirti and plenty evil; with humble mind, receive di word wey dem plant inside una, wey fit save una soul.

²²No be just to listen to di word una go dey do, and so dey deceive una self. Do wetin e talk. ²³Anybody wey hear di word but no dey do wetin e talk, e be like person wey dey look im natural face for mirror, ²⁴and, afta e don look imself, e go comot and one time e go forget di kind face wey e get. ²⁵But whoever look well-well inside di perfect law of freedom, dey continue inside am—no be hearer wey dey forget but doer wey dey do—dat person go get blessing for wetin e dey do.

²⁶If anybody think say e be religious person but e no dey control im tongue, e dey deceive im own heart—im religion no get any use. ²⁷Religion wey clean and wey no get stain for front of our Papa na dis: to take care of orphan and widow for dia suffer, and to keep imself clean from di stain of di world.