ΙΑΚΩΒΟΥ ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ
1
1 Ἰάκωβος, Θεοῦ καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δοῦλος, ταῖς δώδεκα φυλαῖς ταῖς ἐν τῇ Διασπορᾷ· χαίρειν.
Various exhortations
2 Πᾶσαν χαρὰν ἡγήσασθε, ἀδελφοί μου, ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις, 3 γινώσκοντες ὅτι τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως κατεργάζεται ὑπομονήν· 4 ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ ἔργον τέλειον ἐχέτω, ἵνα ἦτε τέλειοι καὶ ὁλόκληροι, ἐν μηδενὶ λειπόμενοι.
About wisdom
5 Εἰ δέ τις ὑμῶν λείπεται σοφίας, αἰτείτω παρὰ τοῦ διδόντος Θεοῦ πᾶσιν ἁπλῶς καὶ οὐκ* ουκ f35 (70.3%) RP,HF,OC,CP ¦ μη ℵA,B,C (29.7%) TR,NU (James is stating a fact; God doesn’t reproach.) ὀνειδίζοντος, καὶ δοθήσεται αὐτῷ. 6 Αἰτείτω δὲ ἐν πίστει, μηδὲν διακρινόμενος, ὁ γὰρ διακρινόμενος ἔοικεν κλύδωνι θαλάσσης ἀνεμιζομένῳ καὶ ῥιπιζομένῳ— 7 μὴ γὰρ οἰέσθω ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ὅτι λήψεταί† ληψεται f35 [98.5%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ λημψεται (ℵ)A,B(C) [1.5%] NU τι παρὰ τοῦ‡ του rell ¦ — [15%] Κυρίου, 8 ἀνὴρ δίψυχος ἀκατάστατος ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ.
9 Καυχάσθω δὲ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὁ ταπεινὸς ἐν τῷ ὕψει αὐτοῦ, 10 ὁ δὲ πλούσιος ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου παρελεύσεται. 11 Ἀνέτειλεν γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος σὺν τῷ καύσωνι καὶ ἐξήρανεν τὸν χόρτον, καὶ τὸ ἄνθος αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεσεν καὶ ἡ εὐπρέπεια τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἀπώλετο. Οὕτως καὶ ὁ πλούσιος ἐν ταῖς πορείαις αὐτοῦ μαρανθήσεται.
About testing
12 Μακάριος ἀνὴρ ὃς ὑπομένει πειρασμόν, ὅτι δόκιμος γενόμενος λήψεται§ ληψεται f35 C [98.5%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ λημψεται 𝕻23ℵA,B [1.5%] NU τὸν στέφανον τῆς ζωῆς ὃν ἐπηγγείλατο ὁ Κύριος* ο κυριος f35 (89%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ 2 C (4.8%) ¦ 1 θεος (3.6%) ¦ — 𝕻23ℵA,B (2%) NU ¦ 1 αψευδης θεος (0.6%) (The Alexandrian omission of the subject of the verb produces an inferior text; to use the ‘harder reading’ canon to foist the inferior reading on James I consider to be unfair and illegitimate.) τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν. 13 Μηδεὶς πειραζόμενος λεγέτω ὅτι «Ἀπὸ† απο f35 A,B,C [93%] RP,HF,OC,CP,NU ¦ υπο ℵ [2.5%] ¦ 1 του [4%] TR ¦ παρα [0.5%] Θεοῦ πειράζομαι,» ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς ἀπείραστός ἐστιν κακῶν, πειράζει δὲ αὐτὸς οὐδένα. 14 Ἕκαστος δὲ πειράζεται ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας, ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος. 15 Εἶτα ἡ ἐπιθυμία, συλλαβοῦσα, τίκτει ἁμαρτίαν, ἡ δὲ ἁμαρτία ἀποτελεσθεῖσα, ἀποκύει θάνατον.
16 Μὴ πλανᾶσθε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί· 17 πᾶσα δόσις ἀγαθὴ καὶ πᾶν δώρημα τέλειον Ἄνωθέν ἐστιν, καταβαῖνον ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς τῶν φώτων, παρ᾿ ᾧ οὐκ ἔνι‡ ενι rell ¦ εστιν ℵ [10%] παραλλαγὴ ἢ τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα. 18 Βουληθείς, ἀπεκύησεν ἡμᾶς λόγῳ ἀληθείας, εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἀπαρχήν τινα τῶν αὐτοῦ κτισμάτων.
19 Ὥστε,§ ωστε f35 [95%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ιστε ℵB,C [3%] NU ¦ ιστε δε A [1%] ¦ — [1%] (Another Alexandrian infelicity that should not be imputed to James.) ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί, ἔστω* εστω f35 [97%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ 1 δε ℵB,C [2%] NU ¦ και 1 A [1%] πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ταχὺς εἰς τὸ ἀκοῦσαι, βραδὺς εἰς τὸ λαλῆσαι, βραδὺς εἰς ὀργήν· 20 ὀργὴ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς δικαιοσύνην Θεοῦ οὐ κατεργάζεται.† ου κατεργαζεται f35 C (82.9%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ουκ εργαζεται ℵA,B (16.3%) NU ¦ 2 (0.8%)
About obeying the Word
21 Διὸ ἀποθέμενοι πᾶσαν ῥυπαρίαν καὶ περισσείαν κακίας, ἐν πραΰτητι‡ πραυτητι f35 ℵA,B,C [92%] RP,HF,OC,TR,NU ¦ πραοτητι [8%] CP δέξασθε τὸν ἔμφυτον λόγον τὸν δυνάμενον σῶσαι τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν.§ υμων rell ¦ ημων [25%] 22 Γίνεσθε δὲ ποιηταὶ λόγου* λογου f35 ℵA,B,C [89%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ νομου [6%] ¦ λογων [4%] ¦ two other variants [1%] καὶ μὴ μόνον ἀκροαταί,† μονον ακροαται f35 ℵA,C (94%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ ~ 21 B (4.4%) ECM ¦ 2 (1.2%) ¦ two other variants παραλογιζόμενοι ἑαυτούς. 23 Ὅτι εἴ τις ἀκροατὴς νόμου‡ νομου f35 [30%] ¦ λογου ℵA,B,C [69%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ λογων [1%] (Comparing verse 23 with verse 25, James is now talking about ‘law’, but copyists, having already written ‘word’ twice, could make the change, of ‘law’ to ‘word’, almost without thinking. If the original were ‘word’ there would be no pressure to change it to ‘law’.) ἐστὶν καὶ οὐ ποιητής, οὗτος ἔοικεν ἀνδρὶ κατανοοῦντι τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ· 24 κατενόησεν γὰρ ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀπελήλυθεν καὶ εὐθέως ἐπελάθετο ὁποῖος ἦν. 25 Ὁ δὲ παρακύψας εἰς νόμον τέλειον τὸν τῆς ἐλευθερίας καὶ παραμείνας, οὗτος§ ουτος f35 (87.6%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ουτως (6.8%) ¦ — ℵA,B,C,0173 (5.2%) NU ¦ και (0.4%) (The Alexandrians didn’t like the repetition of the emphatic pronoun.)—οὐκ ἀκροατὴς ἐπιλησμονῆς γενόμενος ἀλλὰ ποιητὴς ἔργου—οὗτος μακάριος ἐν τῇ ποιήσει αὐτοῦ ἔσται.
26 Εἴ τις δοκεῖ θρῆσκος εἶναι ἐν ὑμῖν,* ειναι εν υμιν f35 (80.3%) RP,HF,OC,TR [12 ημιν (1.6%)] ¦ ~ 231 (8.2%) CP [ ~ 2 ημιν 1 (0.4%)] ¦ 1 ℵA,B,C,0173 (9.4%) NU μὴ χαλιναγωγῶν γλῶσσαν αὐτοῦ ἀλλ᾿† αλλ f35 [35%] OC,TR ¦ αλλα ℵA,B,C,0173 [65%] RP,HF,CP,NU (The MSS supporting the shorter form come from a considerable number of rivulets within the transmission spectrum, many of them non-Byzantine.) ἀπατῶν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ, τούτου μάταιος ἡ θρησκεία. 27 Θρησκεία καθαρὰ καὶ ἀμίαντος παρὰ‡ παρα f35 ℵ [80%] RP,HF,CP ¦ 1 τω A,B,C [20%] OC,TR,NU (OC is in small print.) (The phrase ‘God and Father’ works like a proper noun; being its first occurrence the article isn’t called for.) Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ αὕτη ἐστίν· ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανοὺς καὶ χήρας ἐν τῇ θλίψει αὐτῶν, ἄσπιλον ἑαυτὸν τηρεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ κόσμου.

*1:5 ουκ f35 (70.3%) RP,HF,OC,CP ¦ μη ℵA,B,C (29.7%) TR,NU (James is stating a fact; God doesn’t reproach.)

†1:7 ληψεται f35 [98.5%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ λημψεται (ℵ)A,B(C) [1.5%] NU

‡1:7 του rell ¦ — [15%]

§1:12 ληψεται f35 C [98.5%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ λημψεται 𝕻23ℵA,B [1.5%] NU

*1:12 ο κυριος f35 (89%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ 2 C (4.8%) ¦ 1 θεος (3.6%) ¦ — 𝕻23ℵA,B (2%) NU ¦ 1 αψευδης θεος (0.6%) (The Alexandrian omission of the subject of the verb produces an inferior text; to use the ‘harder reading’ canon to foist the inferior reading on James I consider to be unfair and illegitimate.)

†1:13 απο f35 A,B,C [93%] RP,HF,OC,CP,NU ¦ υπο ℵ [2.5%] ¦ 1 του [4%] TR ¦ παρα [0.5%]

‡1:17 ενι rell ¦ εστιν ℵ [10%]

§1:19 ωστε f35 [95%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ιστε ℵB,C [3%] NU ¦ ιστε δε A [1%] ¦ — [1%] (Another Alexandrian infelicity that should not be imputed to James.)

*1:19 εστω f35 [97%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ 1 δε ℵB,C [2%] NU ¦ και 1 A [1%]

†1:20 ου κατεργαζεται f35 C (82.9%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ουκ εργαζεται ℵA,B (16.3%) NU ¦ 2 (0.8%)

‡1:21 πραυτητι f35 ℵA,B,C [92%] RP,HF,OC,TR,NU ¦ πραοτητι [8%] CP

§1:21 υμων rell ¦ ημων [25%]

*1:22 λογου f35 ℵA,B,C [89%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ νομου [6%] ¦ λογων [4%] ¦ two other variants [1%]

†1:22 μονον ακροαται f35 ℵA,C (94%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ ~ 21 B (4.4%) ECM ¦ 2 (1.2%) ¦ two other variants

‡1:23 νομου f35 [30%] ¦ λογου ℵA,B,C [69%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ λογων [1%] (Comparing verse 23 with verse 25, James is now talking about ‘law’, but copyists, having already written ‘word’ twice, could make the change, of ‘law’ to ‘word’, almost without thinking. If the original were ‘word’ there would be no pressure to change it to ‘law’.)

§1:25 ουτος f35 (87.6%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ουτως (6.8%) ¦ — ℵA,B,C,0173 (5.2%) NU ¦ και (0.4%) (The Alexandrians didn’t like the repetition of the emphatic pronoun.)

*1:26 ειναι εν υμιν f35 (80.3%) RP,HF,OC,TR [12 ημιν (1.6%)] ¦ ~ 231 (8.2%) CP [ ~ 2 ημιν 1 (0.4%)] ¦ 1 ℵA,B,C,0173 (9.4%) NU

†1:26 αλλ f35 [35%] OC,TR ¦ αλλα ℵA,B,C,0173 [65%] RP,HF,CP,NU (The MSS supporting the shorter form come from a considerable number of rivulets within the transmission spectrum, many of them non-Byzantine.)

‡1:27 παρα f35 ℵ [80%] RP,HF,CP ¦ 1 τω A,B,C [20%] OC,TR,NU (OC is in small print.) (The phrase ‘God and Father’ works like a proper noun; being its first occurrence the article isn’t called for.)

© 2020 Wilbur N. Pickering