James — Phase 1 Step 1: Full-Book Semantic Analysis (Hmong Language Package)

§0. Governing Note on Baseline Inheritance

This document extends, and never contradicts, the Hmong Romans Language Package Baseline v1.0 (assets/translation_memory.json, assets/bible_term_registry.json, assets/doctrine_risk_registry.json, analysis/12_ai_translation_requirements.md). Every term already fixed in the Romans Translation Memory (TM) is reused exactly below and marked “[TM — Romans baseline].” Risk tiers, script (RPA), and register (formal/literary, consistent with Vajtswv Txoj Lus / HWB tradition) are inherited unchanged. New terms surfaced by James are analyzed using the same risk-tier definitions:

• Critical — doctrinally load-bearing, strong specific collision with Hmong traditional religion (animism/shamanism/ancestor veneration/fate), could invert doctrine if unaddressed.
• High — real potential for confusion with a specific traditional-religious concept/practice, manageable with a documented disambiguating strategy.
• Medium — partial semantic mismatch, register gap, or comprehension gap, no direct collision with a competing religious system.
• Low — already-stable, safe rendering with minimal ambiguity.

New terms proposed here are provisional pending formal TM-revision review per §2 of 12_ai_translation_requirements.md; none may be treated as permanent until that review occurs. Full-book coverage is mandatory: every chapter (1–5) is analyzed below; no chapter is silently skipped.

Citation convention (provisional, following the Romans baseline pattern): book name Yakaunpaus (established transliteration for “James/Jacob” consistent with Hmong Bible tradition), cited as Yakaunpaus [chapter]:[verse], e.g. Yakaunpaus 2:17.

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§1. Core Passage — James 2:14-26 — Verse-by-Verse Analysis

This passage is the theological anchor of the curriculum (Faith and Works) and the single most doctrinally sensitive stretch in James relative to the Romans baseline, because it appears, on the surface, to place “works” as a condition of justification (2:24), in apparent tension with Romans’ Critical-tier sola fide doctrine. Every verse below is flagged for mandatory human theologian review.

James 2:14

Greek: Τί τὸ ὄφελος, ἀδελφοί μου, ἐὰν πίστιν λέγῃ τις ἔχειν ἔργα δὲ μὴ ἔχῃ; μὴ δύναται ἡ πίστις σῶσαι αὐτόν;

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
πίστις pistis trust, trustworthiness	belief, faith, fidelity, that which is believed faith, belief	Mere verbal claim to faith is in view — “says he has faith” (λέγῃ ἔχειν) — introducing James’s concern with unverified/dead faith-claims	[TM — Romans baseline] kev ntseeg / ntseeg. Medium risk inherited from Romans: must be anchored to its object; here James deliberately isolates claimed faith from demonstrated faith, so translators must not let the Hmong noun read as automatically genuine/saving faith.
ἔργα erga works, deeds, actions performed	deeds, conduct, accomplished acts (moral or ritual) works, deeds, actions	The visible, active outworking of a life — James’s diagnostic evidence of real faith	NEW TERM. Proposed: tej haujlwm (works/deeds). Critical — must be kept lexically and conceptually distinct from the forbidden Romans substitution ua zoo (rejected in Romans 4:5 as a description of the ground of justification). In James, tej haujlwm names a legitimate NT category (the fruit/evidence of living faith), never the meritorious basis of a sinner’s initial acceptance before God. Requires explicit harmonizing teaching note distinguishing James’s evidentiary use of “works” from the works-righteousness Paul excludes in Romans.
σῶσαι sōsai to save, rescue, deliver	rescue from peril/death; deliverance from sin’s penalty; also physical rescue/healing save, rescue, deliver	Rhetorical question: can a bare, unworking faith-claim save?	[TM — Romans baseline] kev cawm dim / cawm, anchored to Yexus Khetos. Low-Medium added risk here: the rhetorical question format must not be read as suggesting works save instead of/alongside Christ; teaching note required to clarify James asks whether dead faith saves, not whether works contribute to salvation’s ground.

James 2:15

Greek: ἐὰν ἀδελφὸς ἢ ἀδελφὴ γυμνοὶ ὑπάρχωσιν καὶ λειπόμενοι τῆς ἐφημέρου τροφῆς

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
γυμνοί gymnoi naked, bare	literally unclothed; idiomatically “poorly/inadequately clothed” naked, poorly clothed, ill-clad	Concrete picture of physical need within the church family	NEW TERM. Proposed: tsis muaj tsoos tsho hnav txaus (lacking adequate clothing). Low risk — concrete, comprehension-level only.
λειπόμενοι τῆς ἐφημέρου τροφῆς leipomenoi tēs ephēmerou trophēs lacking daily food	lacking food sufficient for the day; want of basic sustenance lacking daily food, without daily bread	Sets up the test case for “faith” that offers only words, not material help	NEW TERM. Proposed: tsis muaj mov noj txaus rau ib hnub twg (lacking enough food for a given day). Low risk.

James 2:16

Greek: εἴπῃ δέ τις αὐτοῖς ἐξ ὑμῶν, Ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ, θερμαίνεσθε καὶ χορτάζεσθε, μὴ δῶτε δὲ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐπιτήδεια τοῦ σώματος, τί τὸ ὄφελος;

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ hypagete en eirēnē go in peace	a conventional benediction/farewell go in peace, go well	Empty pious speech substituting for concrete action	[TM — Romans baseline] kev thaj yeeb for εἰρήνη, combined with mus (go). Low risk; James’s point is that the words are pious but hollow — teaching note should stress the irony, not the term itself.
τὰ ἐπιτήδεια τοῦ σώματος ta epitēdeia tou sōmatos the necessities of the body	material needs required for bodily survival bodily needs, physical necessities	The concrete deed (versus word) that real faith produces	NEW TERM. Proposed: tej yam uas lub cev xav tau kom nyob taus (the things the body needs in order to survive). Low risk.

James 2:17

Greek: οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις, ἐὰν μὴ ἔχῃ ἔργα, νεκρά ἐστιν καθ᾽ ἑαυτήν.

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
νεκρά nekra dead, lifeless	physically dead; figuratively inert, powerless, without vitality dead, lifeless, inert	The thesis statement of the passage: faith without works is not weak faith but no faith — dead	NEW TERM (compound with TM elements). Proposed: kev ntseeg uas tuag lawm (faith that has died), built on [TM — Romans baseline] kev ntseeg + txoj kev tuag/tuag (death/dead). Critical — this is the doctrinal hinge of the whole passage; must never be softened to “weak faith” or “incomplete faith,” which would blunt James’s diagnostic force.

James 2:18

Greek: Ἀλλ᾽ ἐρεῖ τις, Σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις κἀγὼ ἔργα ἔχω. δεῖξόν μοι τὴν πίστιν σου χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων, κἀγώ σοι δείξω ἐκ τῶν ἔργων μου τὴν πίστιν.

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
δεῖξόν deixon show, demonstrate, prove	make visible, exhibit as evidence show, demonstrate, prove	Works function as the evidence by which invisible faith becomes visible/verifiable	NEW TERM. Proposed: qhia kom pom (show/make visible so it can be seen). Low-Medium risk — must be taught as an evidentiary, not causal/meritorious, relationship between works and faith.

James 2:19

Greek: σὺ πιστεύεις ὅτι εἷς ἐστιν ὁ θεός, καλῶς ποιεῖς· καὶ τὰ δαιμόνια πιστεύουσιν καὶ φρίσσουσιν.

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
τὰ δαιμόνια ta daimonia the demons	evil spirits, unclean spirits, fallen spiritual beings demons, evil spirits	Bare intellectual assent (“God is one”) is shared even by malevolent spirits — proof that mental belief alone is insufficient	NEW TERM. Proposed: cov dab (the demons/evil spirits). High risk: dab is the live, active Hmong term for spirits engaged, feared, and propitiated in traditional religion and by the txiv neeb (shaman). Using it here is doctrinally correct (these truly are the referent), but requires explicit catechetical framing: these dab are real, defeated, fearful subjects of Vajtswv — not beings to be placated, consulted, or feared as in shamanic practice. Must never be confused with Vaj Ntsuj Plig (Holy Spirit) or ntsuj plig (human soul).
φρίσσουσιν phrissousin shudder, bristle with fear	to shiver/tremble in terror shudder, tremble	Even demons’ “faith” produces terror, not salvation — contrast with saving faith that produces peace and works	NEW TERM. Proposed: ntshai tshee hnyo (tremble with fear). Low risk, descriptive.

James 2:20

Greek: Θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ, ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστιν;

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
ἄνθρωπε κενέ anthrōpe kene O empty/foolish person	vacuous, empty-headed, foolish foolish person, empty man	Direct rebuke of the interlocutor’s error	NEW TERM. Proposed: tus neeg ruam (foolish person). Low risk.
ἀργή argē idle, barren, unproductive, useless	inactive, ineffective, unproductive (economic/agricultural metaphor of unworked land or unemployed labor) useless, barren, unproductive (some mss: νεκρά, “dead”)	Reinforces v.17’s “dead” with an economic-productivity image	NEW TERM. Proposed: tsis muaj qab hau (useless, bears no fruit/result). Low-Medium; complements but must not replace the tuag (dead) language of v.17.

James 2:21

Greek: Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἀνενέγκας Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον;

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
ἐδικαιώθη edikaiōthē was justified, was declared/shown righteous	forensic declaration of righteous status; also demonstrative vindication of an existing status was justified, was shown righteous, was vindicated	The Critical harmonization point of the whole book. James appeals to Abraham’s action (offering Isaac, Gen 22, decades after Gen 15:6’s crediting of righteousness by faith) as the proof/completion of a faith already reckoned righteous — not as its initial ground	[TM — Romans baseline, reused exactly, no re-gloss permitted] ua kom ncaj ncees / raug suav tias ncaj ncees. Critical. Mandatory teaching note: James’s Abraham here is the same Abraham of Romans 4, already reckoned righteous by faith before works (Gen 15:6, quoted in the very next verse, 2:23); James 2:21 addresses the vindicating/completing dimension of justification (righteousness evidenced), while Romans 4 addresses its forensic ground (righteousness credited). Both must use the identical TM phrase — the resolution is theological/catechetical, never lexical.
θυσιαστήριον thysiastērion altar	a place of sacrificial offering altar	Backdrop image of Isaac’s near-sacrifice	NEW TERM. Proposed: lub thaj fij (altar), built on the fij (offering) root already flagged in the Romans TM (living_sacrifice, propitiation). Medium-High — reuses the sacrificial-offering domain that also covers shamanic spirit-appeasement (fij dab); must be anchored to the unique historical Abraham/Isaac narrative and not generalized into ritual-offering teaching.

James 2:22

Greek: βλέπεις ὅτι ἡ πίστις συνήργει τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἡ πίστις ἐτελειώθη

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
συνήργει synērgei worked together with, cooperated	acted jointly, was active alongside worked together, cooperated, was active along with	Faith and works are shown as organically united, not sequential/competing causes	NEW TERM. Proposed: ua haujlwm ua ke nrog (worked together with). Medium risk — must be taught carefully so as not to imply works “help” faith justify in the Pauline forensic sense; here it describes the observable unity of a living faith with its fruit.
ἐτελειώθη eteleiōthē was perfected, was brought to completion/maturity	brought to its intended goal/fullness; matured, completed was perfected, was completed, was made complete	Works are the completion (not addition) of genuine faith — faith reaches its intended maturity through action	NEW TERM. Proposed: raug ua kom tiav txhij (was brought to completion/fullness). High — must be distinguished from any suggestion that works add merit to an otherwise-insufficient faith; the sense is organic maturation/fulfillment of what was already present, not supplementation of what was lacking.

James 2:23

Greek: καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα, Ἐπίστευσεν δὲ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην, καὶ φίλος θεοῦ ἐκλήθη.

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
ἐλογίσθη elogisthē was reckoned, was counted, was credited	forensic-accounting term: to credit to an account was counted, was credited, was reckoned/imputed	Direct quotation of Genesis 15:6, the very verse Paul anchors Romans 4 to — the forensic imputation of righteousness by faith, prior to and apart from Isaac’s offering	[TM — Romans baseline, reused exactly] suav / suav tias. Critical. This verse is the linchpin proving James does not contradict Romans: James himself quotes the imputation text, showing that he assumes, rather than denies, forensic justification by faith as the ground, while addressing its subsequent vindication/completion through works in v.21-22. Must be taught together with v.21 as a single unit.
φίλος θεοῦ philos theou friend of God	one in relationship of trusted intimacy/loyalty with God friend of God	The relational fruit/outcome of Abraham’s faith-and-works life	NEW TERM. Proposed: phooj ywg ntawm Vajtswv (friend of God). Low risk — positive, no traditional-religion collision; register note: elevate slightly above ordinary “phooj ywg” (friend) usage in teaching to preserve the honor of the title.

James 2:24

Greek: ὁρᾶτε ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως μόνον.

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
δικαιοῦται dikaioutai is justified	present-tense forensic/demonstrative declaration is justified, is shown/vindicated as righteous	The passage’s climactic and most quoted (and most misused) statement	[TM — Romans baseline, reused exactly, no re-gloss permitted] ua kom ncaj ncees / raug suav tias ncaj ncees. Critical — highest-priority escalation in this curriculum. This clause, read in isolation and without the co-text of v.21-23, appears to directly contradict the Critical-tier Romans doctrine “Justification by Faith” (Vajtswv txoj kev ncaj ncees never earned by works). This verse MUST NEVER be presented, glossed, footnoted, or taught in isolation from vv.21-23 and from the Romans 3:28/4:5 baseline; every occurrence requires an adjacent harmonizing note stating that James addresses the evidencing function of a living faith (justification vindicated before others/before the watching world) while Paul addresses the forensic ground of justification before God (received by faith alone, apart from works, Romans 3:28, 4:5). No automated-review bypass permitted; mandatory human theologian review.
οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως μόνον ouk ek pisteōs monon not from faith alone	negation restricting the sufficiency of “faith” as James is using the word in this specific rhetorical context (a bare intellectual claim) not by faith only, not by faith alone	James is not negating sola fide as a doctrine of justification’s ground; he is negating the sufficiency of a merely verbal, workless faith-claim as evidence of salvation	NEW TERM. Proposed: tsis yog vim muaj kev ntseeg xwb (not because of faith alone). Critical — same escalation as above; must always co-occur with the harmonizing teaching note; never presented as a freestanding proof-text against Romans’ sola fide.

James 2:25

Greek: ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ὑποδεξαμένη τοὺς ἀγγέλους καὶ ἑτέρᾳ ὁδῷ ἐκβαλοῦσα;

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
ἡ πόρνη hē pornē the prostitute	a woman who sells sex; also used more broadly of moral/spiritual unfaithfulness the prostitute, the harlot	A second, deliberately contrasting example to Abraham (patriarch vs. Gentile prostitute) showing the principle applies universally	NEW TERM. Proposed: tus poj muag cev (the woman who sells her body) or the standard biblical-narrative gloss Lahaj uas yog tus poj muag cev (Rahab, the prostitute). Medium risk — plain descriptive term, no traditional-religion collision, but register-sensitive; recommend consistent narrative framing rather than repeated blunt restatement.
ὑποδεξαμένη hypodexamenē having received, welcomed, hosted	to receive as a guest, give hospitality/shelter received, welcomed, hosted	Rahab’s concrete act of hospitality/risk is the “work” that vindicates her faith (cf. Joshua 2)	NEW TERM. Proposed: txais tos (received/welcomed). Low risk.

James 2:26

Greek: ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν.

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος to sōma chōris pneumatos the body apart from spirit/breath	πνεῦμα here = life-breath, the animating principle of a body, NOT the Holy Spirit body without spirit/breath, corpse	Closing summary image: just as a corpse lacks the animating breath of life, workless faith lacks the animating reality of true trust	CRITICAL DISAMBIGUATION. πνεῦμα here is anthropological (life-breath), never Vaj Ntsuj Plig (Holy Spirit). Use [TM — Romans baseline] ntsuj plig (human spirit/soul, never Vaj-prefixed) or, better, a fully generic pa ua pa (breath/life-breath) to avoid any reader inferring a statement about the Holy Spirit indwelling the body. High risk if mishandled: an incautious rendering using Vaj Ntsuj Plig here would create a false doctrinal statement (“the body without the Holy Spirit is dead”) foreign to James’s actual illustration.
νεκρόν / νεκρά nekron / nekra dead	(as above, v.17) dead, lifeless	Closing inclusio with v.17, sealing the chiastic argument	Same as v.17 above: tuag / kev ntseeg uas tuag lawm. Critical, as established.

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§2. Chapter-by-Chapter Study of the Whole Book

Chapter 1 — Trials, Wisdom, Hearing and Doing the Word

James 1 introduces three of the nine assigned doctrines (Trials and the Testing of Faith; Wisdom from Above; and lays groundwork for Faith and Works via “doers of the word”), plus supporting vocabulary for Favoritism (implicitly, via lowly/rich) and Worldliness.

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
πειρασμός (peirasmos) trial, testing an external circumstance that tests	trial, test, ordeal; can shade toward “temptation” depending on context trial(s), testing(s)	1:2-4 — trials are to be met with joy because they produce tested endurance	NEW TERM. Proposed: kev raug swm sim (being tested/tried). Medium — must be kept lexically distinct from v.13’s peirazō (internal enticement to sin, see below); no traditional-religion collision identified, but requires a teaching note distinguishing external testing (from God, for good) from internal temptation (never from God).
δοκίμιον (dokimion) testing, that which proves genuine the proving/refining process, often via a metallurgical metaphor (testing metal for purity)	testing, proof, genuineness testing, proof	1:3 — “the testing of your faith produces steadfastness”	NEW TERM. Proposed: kev sim kom paub tias tseeb (testing to determine genuineness), echoing a refining-metal image accessible via Hmong metalworking/silver-testing custom. Low-Medium, comprehension-level.
ὑπομονή (hypomonē) steadfastness, endurance patient perseverance under pressure	endurance, steadfastness, perseverance steadfastness, patience, endurance	1:3-4, 12 — the fruit trials are meant to produce, leading to being “perfect and complete”	[TM — Romans baseline] kev ua siab ntev. Low risk, stable.
τέλειος (teleios) perfect, mature, complete reaching intended goal/maturity, not sinless perfection	perfect, mature, complete, whole perfect, complete, mature	1:4 — the goal of endurance’s work	NEW TERM. Proposed: zoo kawg nkaus tiav txhij (fully complete/mature). Low-Medium; must be taught as maturity, not sinless perfection, to avoid unrealistic expectation.
σοφία (sophia) wisdom practical, God-given skill for righteous living, distinguished from mere cleverness	wisdom, skill, insight wisdom	1:5 — wisdom is to be asked of God, who gives generously; anchors the “Wisdom from Above” doctrine (developed fully in ch.3)	NEW TERM. Proposed: tswvyim. Medium — tswvyim (idea/counsel/wisdom) is used in ordinary Hmong decision-making and can include counsel sought through divination or elder/shaman consultation in traditional contexts; must always be anchored tswvyim ntawm Vajtswv (wisdom from God) or thov Vajtswv pub tswvyim rau (ask God to give wisdom) to distinguish from divinatory or ancestral-counsel-seeking.
διακρινόμενος (diakrinomenos) doubting, being divided in judgment wavering, disputing with oneself	doubting, wavering, disputing doubting	1:6 — asking in faith without doubting	NEW TERM. Proposed: tsis xav ob peb zaug (not doubting/wavering back and forth). Low-Medium.
δίψυχος (dipsychos) double-souled, double-minded internally divided loyalty/will	double-minded, two-souled, wavering double-minded	1:8; also 4:8 — instability produced by divided allegiance	NEW TERM. Proposed: ob lub siab (two hearts/livers — a double-minded person). Low risk; strong natural Hmong idiom, no collision, since siab (liver/heart) is already the established seat of will/moral awareness in the Romans baseline (conscience, will_of_god).
ταπεινός / πλούσιος (tapeinos / plousios) lowly / rich humble in social status / wealthy	poor/lowly, humble / rich, wealthy the lowly, the poor / the rich	1:9-11 — paradoxical boasting: the lowly boasts in exaltation, the rich in being brought low; anchors the Favoritism-and-the-Poor doctrine developed in ch.2	NEW TERM. Proposed: tus pluag/txo hwv (the poor/lowly) and tus nplua nuj (the rich). Low risk, concrete socioeconomic terms.
στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς (stephanos tēs zōēs) crown of life a victor’s wreath, here signifying eternal life as reward for enduring trial	crown/wreath of life crown of life	1:12 — promised to the one who endures trial and stands the test	NEW TERM. Proposed: mom kub ntawm txoj sia nyob mus ib txhis, built on [TM — Romans baseline] txoj sia nyob mus ib txhis (eternal life). Low-Medium; the “crown” (victor’s wreath) image is culturally unfamiliar but transfers via comprehension gloss, not doctrinal collision.
πειράζω (peirazō, internal) / ἐπιθυμία (epithymia) tempt / desire to be enticed toward sin / an inordinate longing	temptation (never from God) / desire, lust, craving temptation / desire, lust	1:13-15 — God tempts no one; each person is tempted by his own desire, which conceives and gives birth to sin, which gives birth to death	NEW TERM (Critical distinction from 1:2’s peirasmos). Proposed: kev raug ntxias kom ua txhaum (being enticed to sin) for peirazō here, and kev ntshaw phem (evil craving/desire) for epithymia. High — must be sharply distinguished from 1:2-3’s kev raug swm sim (trial, which may come from God’s providence for good) since James explicitly denies God is the source of this internal enticement (1:13); collapsing the two into one Hmong word would make James appear to say God tempts people to sin.
πατὴρ τῶν φώτων (patēr tōn phōtōn) Father of lights God as source/creator of heavenly lights (sun, moon, stars), unchanging unlike them	Father of lights Father of lights	1:17 — God’s good, unchanging character as the giver of every good gift	NEW TERM. Proposed: Leej Txiv uas tsim tej qhov teeb ci saum ntuj (the Father who made the lights of heaven), built on [TM — Romans baseline] Leej Txiv. Low risk.
λόγος ἀληθείας (logos alētheias) / ἔμφυτος λόγος (emphytos logos) word of truth / implanted word the gospel message that brings new birth / that word now rooted within believers	word of truth, implanted/rooted word word of truth, implanted word	1:18, 21 — believers are “brought forth” by the word of truth, described among the [TM] aparchē (firstfruits) of creation; the implanted word is “able to save your souls”	NEW TERM. Proposed: Txoj Lus Tseeb (word of truth) and Txoj Lus uas cog rau hauv (lub siab) (the word planted/rooted within). Uses [TM — Romans baseline] qhov tseeb (truth) as root. Low-Medium; agricultural planting-metaphor is culturally accessible (agrarian context).
ἀπαρχή (aparchē) firstfruits first portion of a harvest, dedicated to God	firstfruits, first portion firstfruits	1:18 — believers as a kind of firstfruits of God’s creatures	[TM — Romans baseline] thawj phaus qoob loo / cov ua ntej. Low-Medium, stable.
νόμος ἐλευθερίας (nomos eleutherias) law of liberty/freedom the moral law now viewed through the lens of Spirit-given freedom rather than external compulsion	law of liberty, law of freedom, perfect law of liberty law of liberty	1:25; also 2:12 — the standard by which believers will be judged, associated with joyful obedience rather than bondage	NEW TERM, built on TM element. Proposed: Txoj Kevcai uas pub kev ywj pheej, mandatory qualifier retained per baseline rule: Txoj Kevcai (ntawm Vajtswv) uas pub kev ywj pheej. Critical — inherits the full Txoj Kevcai collision risk (root shared with kev cai dab qhuas, ancestral-custom religion); the qualifier (ntawm Vajtswv) is non-negotiable at every occurrence.
θρησκεία καθαρὰ καὶ ἀμίαντος (thrēskeia kathara kai amiantos) pure and undefiled religion outward religious observance/practice that is unpolluted and acceptable to God	religion, religious practice/observance (true/pure) religion	1:26-27 — defined not by ritual but by care for orphans/widows and moral purity from the world	NEW TERM — CRITICAL COLLISION RISK. θρησκεία must NOT be rendered kev cai dab qhuas (the standard Hmong gloss for “religion,” literally “customs of spirit-worship” — already flagged in the Romans baseline as the term to avoid for “Law” precisely because of this root). Doing so here would literally label Christian practice “spirit-worship customs.” Proposed alternative: txoj kev teev hawm Vajtswv uas dawb huv thiab tsis muaj chaw thuam, built on [TM — Romans baseline] pehawm (worship, always anchored: pehawm/teev hawm Vajtswv) and dawb huv (already flagged in sanctification, must be taught as moral purity, not ritual cleanness). Critical, requires mandatory human theologian review; log as new highest-priority forbidden-substitution addition.
ὀρφανούς καὶ χήρας (orphanous kai chēras) orphans and widows children without parents, women without husbands — the paradigmatic vulnerable	orphans and widows orphans and widows	1:27 — the concrete object of pure religion’s care	NEW TERM. Proposed: cov menyuam ntsuag thiab cov poj ntsuam. Low risk, standard existing Hmong vocabulary.
κόσμος (kosmos, moral sense) world here shading from neutral “inhabited world” toward a morally corrupting value-system opposed to God	world, worldly system the world	1:27 — keeping oneself “unstained from the world”	[TM — Romans baseline] lub ntiajteb. Medium added risk: Romans’ kosmos entries are largely neutral (creation/humanity); James 1:27 and especially 4:4 extend the sense toward a hostile value-system. Same Hmong word must serve both senses; a teaching note distinguishing “the world as God’s creation” from “the world as a corrupting system opposed to God” is required wherever this extended sense appears (see also ch.4 below).

Chapter 2 — Favoritism and the Poor (vv.1-13); Faith and Works (vv.14-26, treated fully in §1 above)

Verses 14-26 are the core passage and are fully treated in §1. This section covers the load-bearing terms of 2:1-13 only.

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
προσωπολημψία / προσωπολημπτέω (prosōpolēmpsia / prosōpolēmpteō) receiving/judging by the face favoritism, partiality based on external appearance/status	favoritism, partiality, prejudice favoritism, partiality, showing favor/discrimination	2:1, 9 — direct prohibition of favoritism, especially toward the rich over the poor, “in connection with faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ”	NEW TERM, mirrors TM. Proposed: kev saib ntsej muag — the direct negative counterpart of [TM — Romans baseline] impartiality_of_god (tsis saib ntsej muag, “does not show face/favoritism”). Low risk: strong existing Hmong idiom transfers cleanly in both positive and negative forms; ensure consistent pairing so learners see this as the vice God’s own impartiality (Romans 2) forbids in the church.
χρυσοδακτύλιος / λαμπρᾷ ἐσθῆτι / ῥυπαρᾷ ἐσθῆτι (chrysodaktylios / lampra esthēti / rhypara esthēti) gold-ringed / bright clothing / dirty clothing markers of wealth vs. poverty in the assembly’s visitors	rich visitor’s attire / poor visitor’s shabby attire fine clothing / shabby clothing	2:2-4 — the concrete test-case: seating the well-dressed rich above the poorly dressed poor	NEW TERM. Proposed descriptive phrases: tus hnav khaub ncaws zoo nkauj thiab looj nplhaib kub (one dressed finely, wearing a gold ring) vs. tus hnav khaub ncaws qub qhuav (one dressed in shabby clothing). Low risk, concrete.
νόμος βασιλικός (nomos basilikos) royal law the law fit for a king/kingdom, i.e., the supreme summarizing command (Lev 19:18, love of neighbor)	royal law, kingly law, supreme law royal law	2:8 — “you shall love your neighbor as yourself,” identified as the law that, if truly kept, excludes favoritism	NEW TERM, built on TM element. Proposed: Txoj Kevcai Loj ntawm Vajtswv (uas yog: hlub luag zej luag zos ib yam li koj hlub koj tus kheej), retaining the mandatory Txoj Kevcai (ntawm Vajtswv) qualifier. Critical — same Txoj Kevcai collision-management rule as the Romans baseline applies without exception; also reuses [TM — Romans baseline] love (kev hlub).
ἔνοχος πάντων (enochos pantōn) guilty of all (points of the law) one violation makes a person a lawbreaker with respect to the whole law	guilty of breaking the whole law guilty of all	2:10-11 — the unity of the law: partiality is not a minor lapse but implicates the whole Law	NEW TERM. Proposed: raug txiav txim tias ua txhaum Txoj Kevcai (ntawm Vajtswv) huvsi lawm, reusing [TM — Romans baseline] law_mosaic_divine and the no_condemnation judicial-idiom pattern. Low-Medium, comprehension-level.
κρίσις ἀνέλεος (krisis aneleos) / ἔλεος (eleos) merciless judgment / mercy judgment without mercy for the one who showed no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment	judgment without mercy / mercy judgment, mercy	2:13 — “mercy triumphs over judgment,” directly connecting the favoritism warning to the character of God	[TM — Romans baseline] txoj kev khuv leej for mercy (kept lexically distinct from txiaj ntsim/grace per the baseline’s mercy-vs-grace note). Medium risk, inherited unchanged.

Chapter 3 — Taming the Tongue; Wisdom from Above

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
διδάσκαλος (didaskalos) teacher one who instructs others, here in the assembly	teacher, instructor teacher(s)	3:1 — warning that teachers face stricter judgment	NEW TERM. Proposed: xibhwb (teacher — established loan-derived Hmong Christian term) or tus qhia Txoj Lus Vajtswv. Low-Medium, comprehension/register only; log for TM-revision.
γλῶσσα (glōssa) tongue the physical organ of speech; metonym for speech itself	tongue, speech, language tongue	3:2-12 — the central image of the chapter: a small member with disproportionate power to bless or curse, bridle or set ablaze	NEW TERM. Proposed: tus nplaig (the tongue). Low risk, direct anatomical term, no collision; the doctrine of “Taming the Tongue” hangs on consistent use of this term throughout the passage.
χαλιναγωγέω (chalinagōgeō) to bridle, to control with a bit to restrain as one restrains a horse with a bridle	bridle, restrain, control bridle, control, restrain	3:2-3 — controlling the tongue as evidence of a “perfect” (mature) person	NEW TERM. Proposed: tswj tus nplaig (control/restrain the tongue). Low risk, natural equestrian-adjacent Hmong idiom (bridling animals is a familiar agrarian image).
εὐλογοῦμεν / καταρώμεθα (eulogoumen / katarōmetha) we bless / we curse to speak well of, invoke favor upon / to speak evil of, invoke harm upon	bless, praise / curse, condemn bless / curse	3:9-10 — the tongue used inconsistently to bless God and curse people made in God’s likeness	NEW TERM — requires disambiguation from koob hmoov. Proposed: qhuas Vajtswv (praise/exalt God, direction toward God — do not use foom koob hmoov rau Vajtswv, which would misapply the material-blessing term upward) and foom tsis zoo rau (luag) (pronounce ill/curse upon someone). Medium risk: [TM — Romans baseline] reserves koob hmoov exclusively for ordinary material blessing directed toward people, never toward God and never for grace; this chapter requires care that “blessing God” (praise) and “blessing/cursing people” use clearly distinguished Hmong verbs so koob hmoov’s narrow permitted lane is not stretched.
κατ᾽ ὁμοίωσιν θεοῦ γεγονότας (kath’ homoiōsin theou gegonotas) made according to the likeness of God created bearing God’s image/likeness	made in God’s likeness/image made in the likeness of God	3:9 — grounds the wrongness of cursing people in their God-given dignity	NEW TERM. Proposed: raug tsim los raws li Vajtswv tus yam ntxwv. Low risk, positive anthropological concept, no collision; complements [TM — Romans baseline] creation (tej uas raug tsim los).
σοφία ἄνωθεν (sophia anōthen) vs. ἐπίγειος, ψυχική, δαιμονιώδης (epigeios, psychikē, daimoniōdēs) wisdom from above vs. earthly, unspiritual/soulish, demonic God-given wisdom descending from heaven vs. wisdom characterized by worldly, merely-human, or demonically-inspired origin	heavenly wisdom / earthly-natural-demonic wisdom wisdom from above / earthly, unspiritual, demonic wisdom	3:13-17 — anchors the “Wisdom from Above” doctrine; two competing wisdoms produce two competing kinds of fruit (bitter jealousy/strife vs. peaceable good fruit)	NEW TERM, extends 1:5 entry. Proposed: tswvyim uas los saum ntuj los / ntawm Vajtswv vs. tswvyim ntiajteb (earthly), tswvyim raws li kev xav ntawm neeg xwb (merely human/soulish), tswvyim los ntawm dab (demonic). High risk on the last item: explicitly naming a category of wisdom as dab (demon)-sourced sits directly in the collision zone with shamanic spirit-consultation (txiv neeb practice is understood by outsiders as a form of spirit-derived “wisdom” or power); this is theologically appropriate (Scripture does categorize false spiritual sources as demonic) but requires explicit catechesis distinguishing biblical discernment-teaching from an accusation against any specific living practitioner, and must be paired with the positive tswvyim ntawm Vajtswv alternative at every occurrence.
ζῆλος / ἐριθεία (zēlos / eritheia) jealousy / selfish ambition bitter envy / self-seeking rivalry	jealousy, envy / selfish ambition, rivalry, factionalism jealousy / selfish ambition	3:14, 16 — the root of earthly wisdom’s disorder and every vile practice	NEW TERM. Proposed: kev khib (jealousy/envy) and kev sib cav xav kom tsuas yog kuv/peb thiaj tau (selfish rivalry/ambition). Low-Medium, descriptive compound phrase.
ἁγνή, εἰρηνική, ἐπιεικής, εὐπειθής, μεστὴ ἐλέους καὶ καρπῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἀδιάκριτος, ἀνυπόκριτος pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable/compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, sincere the seven-fold fruit-description of wisdom from above	virtue list pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, without hypocrisy	3:17 — the positive contrast-portrait to 3:14-16	Reuses [TM — Romans baseline] kev thaj yeeb (peace) and txoj kev khuv leej (mercy) as anchors; remaining terms (dawb, ua siab zoo, mloog lus yooj yim, tsis saib ntsej muag, tsis ntxeev ntxias) are NEW, Low risk, descriptive virtue vocabulary with no traditional-religion collision.
καρπὸς δικαιοσύνης (karpos dikaiosynēs) fruit of righteousness the harvest produced by righteous, peace-sown living	fruit of righteousness fruit of righteousness	3:18 — closing verse, connects wisdom’s fruit to righteousness and peace	Built on [TM — Romans baseline] righteousness_of_god_righteous and peace. Low-Medium, agricultural-harvest metaphor accessible to agrarian Hmong context (cf. firstfruits).

Chapter 4 — Worldliness versus Friendship with God

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
πόλεμοι καὶ μάχαι (polemoi kai machai) wars and fightings conflicts, quarrels, disputes	wars, quarrels, conflicts quarrels, fights, conflicts	4:1 — sourced in inward “passions at war” (ἡδοναί), i.e., disordered desire	NEW TERM. Proposed: kev sib ceg sib tw (quarrels and conflicts). Low risk.
ἡδοναί (hēdonai) pleasures, desires sensory/self-indulgent cravings	pleasures, desires, passions pleasures, desires, passions	4:1, 3 — the internal root of conflict and of prayers wrongly motivated (“that you may spend it on your passions”)	NEW TERM. Proposed: kev ntshaw kom tau lom zem rau kuv tus kheej (self-indulgent craving/desire). Low-Medium.
φιλία τοῦ κόσμου / ἔχθρα τοῦ θεοῦ (philia tou kosmou / echthra tou theou) friendship with the world / enmity with God allegiance to the world’s value system as active hostility toward God	friendship with the world / enmity with/hostility toward God friendship with the world = enmity with God	4:4 — the doctrinal center of “Worldliness versus Friendship with God”: these are mutually exclusive loyalties	NEW TERM, built on TM element. Proposed: kev nyob sib raug zoo/hlub ntiajteb (friendship/love-attachment to the world), built on [TM — Romans baseline] lub ntiajteb, and ua yeeb ncuab rau Vajtswv (becoming an enemy of God). High risk: requires the same extended-sense teaching note flagged at 1:27 (kosmos as a hostile value-system, not neutral creation), plus explicit teaching that this is a covenantal-loyalty statement (echoing OT “spiritual adultery” language, see next entry), not a call to withdraw from ordinary social/economic life.
μοιχαλίδες (moichalides) adulteresses those unfaithful to a covenant spouse, here used metaphorically of covenant-unfaithfulness to God	adulteresses (metaphorical); unfaithful ones adulterers/adulteresses (spiritual sense)	4:4 — addressing believers as spiritually unfaithful “adulteresses” for pursuing worldly friendship	NEW TERM. Proposed: cov uas tsis ncaj ncees rau Vajtswv, zoo li tus poj niam tsis ncaj ncees rau nws tus txiv (those unfaithful to God, like a wife unfaithful to her husband). Medium risk: purely metaphorical/comprehension issue (literal adultery vocabulary deev could confuse if used bluntly without the simile framing); requires the full simile stated, not a bare noun, to preserve the covenant-unfaithfulness sense rather than a literal accusation.
φθόνος (phthonos) envy jealous, grudging desire against another’s good	envy, jealousy envy	4:5 — a disputed textual/interpretive verse (“the spirit… yearns jealously” or “He jealously desires the spirit”); regardless of construal, envy is condemned	NEW TERM. Proposed: kev khib (envy — reuse from ch.3). Low risk.
πνεῦμα (pneuma, 4:5, disputed referent) spirit either the human spirit God placed within, or the Holy Spirit yearning over believers, depending on construal	spirit (human or divine, textually debated) the spirit	4:5 — a genuinely ambiguous verse in the Greek text itself	[TRANSLATOR REVIEW NEEDED: disputed referent]. Do not silently resolve to either Vaj Ntsuj Plig or bare ntsuj plig; flag for theologian review and translate with a footnote acknowledging the ambiguity, consistent with [TM — Romans baseline]’s strict lexical separation of the two entries. High risk if resolved incorrectly in either direction.
χάρις (charis) grace unmerited favor	grace, unmerited favor grace	4:6 — “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (quoting Proverbs 3:34)	[TM — Romans baseline] txiaj ntsim. Critical, unchanged: must never be rendered koob hmoov.
ταπεινός / ταπεινόω (tapeinos / tapeinoō) humble / to humble lowly in spirit/status / to lower, bring low	humble, lowly / humble oneself, be brought low humble / humble yourselves	4:6, 10 — humility as the posture that receives grace and exaltation from God	NEW TERM. Proposed: txo nws tus kheej (lower/humble oneself). Note: deliberately avoids compounding with hwjchim (power/status) to prevent any confusion with the mandatory Vajtswv hwjchim qualifier convention from the Romans baseline; Low-Medium risk as phrased.
διάβολος (diabolos) devil, slanderer the chief adversary, Satan	the devil, Satan, the slanderer the devil	4:7 — “resist the devil and he will flee from you”	NEW TERM. Proposed: dab Ntxwg Nyoog (established Hmong Christian designation for Satan/the Devil). High risk: built on the generic term dab (spirit/demon), requiring explicit and repeated catechesis that Ntxwg Nyoog is a singular, defeated, personal arch-enemy — categorically distinct from ancestor spirits or nature spirits addressed in traditional practice — never to be feared, propitiated, or negotiated with, only resisted in submission to God.
ἐγγίσατε τῷ θεῷ (engisate tō theō) draw near to God approach, come close to God	draw near, approach draw near to God	4:8 — reciprocal promise: draw near to God and he will draw near to you	NEW TERM. Proposed: txav los ze rau Vajtswv. Low risk.
ἁγνίσατε καρδίας, δίψυχοι (hagnisate kardias, dipsychoi) purify your hearts, double-minded ones cleanse inward moral divided-ness	purify hearts / double-minded purify your hearts, you double-minded	4:8 — reuses 1:8’s dipsychos	Reuses ob lub siab (above) and a new phrase ntxuav lub siab kom dawb huv (purify the heart), drawing on [TM — Romans baseline] sanctification’s dawb huv vocabulary — Medium risk, same ritual-purity-vs-moral-transformation caution applies here as in the Romans baseline’s sanctification entry.
καταλαλεῖν / κρίνειν ἀδελφόν, νομοθέτης καὶ κριτής (katalalein / krinein adelphon; nomothetēs kai kritēs) to speak against/judge a brother; lawgiver and judge slandering a fellow believer, usurping God’s unique role as the one Lawgiver and Judge	speaking against, judging / lawgiver and judge do not speak evil against/judge one another; God alone is Lawgiver and Judge	4:11-12 — ties back to Txoj Kevcai (the Law) and anticipates 5:9’s Judge-at-the-door image	Built on [TM — Romans baseline] law_mosaic_divine and no_condemnation; new phrase tus tsim Kevcai thiab tus Txiav Txim (the Lawgiver and the Judge) for God’s unique judicial-legislative role. Low-Medium, comprehension.
Ἐὰν ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ (Ean ho kyrios thelēsē) if the Lord wills conditioning future plans on God’s sovereign will	”if the Lord wills,” “D.V.” (Deo volente) “if the Lord wills”	4:13-15 — corrective to boastful, self-sufficient planning that ignores God’s sovereignty over life and death	Built on [TM — Romans baseline] will_of_god (Vajtswv lub siab nyiam): proposed yog tus Tswv pom zoo (if the Lord approves/wills). Low risk.
ἀλαζονεία / καύχησις (alazoneia / kauchēsis) arrogant boasting / boasting self-important, presumptuous boasting	arrogance, boastfulness / boasting boasting, arrogant presumption	4:16 — boastful confidence in one’s own plans, condemned as evil	[TM — Romans baseline] kev khav theeb for kauchēsis; alazoneia is a distinct, more negative Greek term meaning “arrogant/presumptuous boasting” — proposed intensified phrase kev khav theeb loj heev, tsis hwm Vajtswv (arrogant boasting that dishonors God). Low-Medium, comprehension-level nuance.

Chapter 5 — Warning to the Rich; Patience and the Lord’s Return; Prayer and Healing; Confession and Restoration

This is the doctrinally densest remaining chapter, touching four of the nine assigned doctrines.

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Hmong rendering risk
πλούσιοι (plousioi) rich (ones) the wealthy, here specifically the exploitative wealthy	the rich you rich people	5:1 — prophetic denunciation of oppressive wealth, reusing ch.1’s plousios	Reuses tus nplua nuj (above). Low risk.
ἐσπαταλήσατε / ἐθρέψατε τὰς καρδίας (espatalēsate / ethrepsate tas kardias) you have lived in luxury / fattened your hearts self-indulgent excess / feeding oneself fat, likened to livestock fattened for slaughter	luxury, self-indulgence / fattened hearts lived in luxury, fattened hearts	5:5 — vivid judgment image against the exploitative rich	NEW TERM. Proposed: nyob lom zem tsis paub txaj muag / rov qab pub nplua siab kom rog (living in shameless luxury / fattening the heart). Low-Medium, vivid descriptive imagery.
παρουσία τοῦ κυρίου (parousia tou kyriou) coming/arrival/presence of the Lord the promised return of Christ	coming, arrival, presence (technical eschatological term) coming of the Lord	5:7-8 — anchors “Patience and the Lord’s Return”; farmer waiting for the harvest as the model of patient hope	NEW TERM. Proposed: hnub uas tus Tswv Yexus rov qab los (the day the Lord Jesus returns), built on [TM — Romans baseline] tus Tswv. Low risk, standard eschatological phrase; log for TM-revision as this concept did not require a dedicated entry in the Romans baseline.
μακροθυμέω / μακροθυμία (makrothymeō / makrothymia) be patient, long-suffering / patience forbearance especially toward people/circumstances, distinct emphasis from hypomonē’s endurance-under-pressure	patience, longsuffering, forbearance be patient, patience	5:7,8,10 — believers are to be patient as a farmer waits for the harvest, and as the prophets were patient in suffering	NEW TERM, requires distinction from [TM] hypomonē. Proposed: ua siab ntev tos (patiently wait), distinguished in teaching from kev ua siab ntev (hypomonē, endurance under trial, v.11) though built from the same ua siab ntev idiom family. Medium — requires a teaching note clarifying the two related-but-distinct Greek words (forbearance-while-waiting vs. endurance-under-suffering) share one dominant Hmong idiom family; both must always be understood as grounded in the certainty of the Lord’s coming, not mere stoic waiting.
κριτὴς πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ἕστηκεν (kritēs pro tōn thyrōn hestēken) the Judge is standing at the doors imminence of final judgment personified	the Judge is at the door the Judge is standing at the door	5:9 — warning against grumbling against one another in light of imminent judgment	NEW TERM. Proposed: tus Txiav Txim twb sawv ntsug ntawm lub qhov rooj lawm (the Judge is already standing at the door). Low-Medium, vivid image, transfers well.
ὑπόδειγμα… τῆς κακοπαθείας καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας (hypodeigma… tēs kakopatheias kai tēs makrothymias) example of suffering and patience the prophets as models	example of suffering and patience example of suffering and patience	5:10 — the prophets as the pattern for patient endurance	Reuses vocabulary above; Low.
ὑπομονὴ Ἰώβ (hypomonē Iōb) the endurance/patience of Job Job’s example of steadfastness under suffering	Job’s endurance/patience patience/steadfastness of Job	5:11 — climactic named example, reusing [TM — Romans baseline] hypomonē = kev ua siab ntev	Proper name Yauj (Job) — NEW TERM, log as new proper-name transliteration for TM-revision; term itself Low risk, reuse of stable TM entry.
μὴ ὀμνύετε (mē omnyete) / ὅρκος (horkos) do not swear / oath prohibition of oath-taking; let speech be simply truthful	swearing, oath-taking do not swear (oaths)	5:12 — “let your yes be yes and your no be no”	NEW TERM. Proposed: tsis txhob cog lus twv (do not swear/vow an oath). High risk: traditional Hmong oath-swearing customs (e.g., invoking ancestors, spirits, or ritual objects as witnesses/guarantors of a promise, sometimes with a curse-consequence for breaking it) present a genuine collision domain; James’s prohibition is not primarily about supernatural invocation but about simple, unqualified truthfulness replacing elaborate guarantee-formulas — this distinction must be taught explicitly so the command is not misunderstood as merely restating a taboo against invoking spirits (which would miss the point about integrity of speech) nor understood so loosely that it fails to address the actual traditional practice.
προσευχέσθω / ψαλλέτω (proseuchesthō / psalletō) let him pray / let him sing praise prayer in suffering, praise in cheerfulness	pray / sing praise pray / sing praise	5:13 — bracketing exhortation opening the prayer-and-healing unit	NEW TERM. Proposed: thov Vajtswv (pray, always anchored to its divine object) and hu nkauj qhuas Vajtswv (sing songs of praise to God). High risk on thov (to petition/request): the bare verb thov is also used for petitioning spirits/ancestors (thov dab, thov poj koob yawm txwv) in traditional religious practice; per the Romans baseline’s pehawm-pattern (worship must always be object-anchored), thov must likewise always be stated with its object Vajtswv and never left bare in generated content.
πρεσβύτεροι τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἀλείψαντες ἐλαίῳ (presbyteroi tēs ekklēsias, aleipsantes elaiō) elders of the church, having anointed with oil church elders praying over and anointing the sick with oil	anointing with oil anoint with oil	5:14 — anchors the “Prayer and Healing” doctrine	NEW TERM — HIGH-CRITICAL COLLISION RISK. Proposed: cov txwj laus hauv pawg ntseeg thov Vajtswv thiab pleev roj rau (tus mob). High risk: any ritual-object-plus-formula healing practice (anointing) directly borders the domain of shamanic healing ritual (ua neeb kho mob), which likewise involves ritual objects, specific gestures, and appeal to spiritual power for physical healing. Mandatory teaching note: the oil here is a simple, non-magical sign accompanying prayer of faith in the sole power of the Lord (v.15 attributes the healing to “the prayer of faith” and “the Lord,” not to the oil itself); it is not a repeatable, efficacious ritual technique and involves no appeasement, negotiation, or invocation of any spirit other than God.
ἡ εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως σώσει τὸν κάμνοντα (hē euchē tēs pisteōs sōsei ton kamnonta) the prayer of faith will save/heal the one who is weary/sick prayer offered in faith effecting physical restoration	save, heal, restore to health will save/heal the sick	5:15 — σῴζω (the salvation-word-group) used here primarily in a physical-healing sense	NEW SENSE OF TM TERM — flagged for review. [TM — Romans baseline] salvation_save (kev cawm dim / cawm) is defined and mandated for soteriological salvation, always anchored to Yexus Khetos. Using the identical phrase for physical healing here risks either (a) diluting the soteriological gravity of kev cawm dim, or (b) implying physical healing is guaranteed/equivalent to eternal salvation. Recommended departure from bare reuse: render this specific physical-healing sense as kho kom zoo (make well/heal), reserving kev cawm dim strictly for eternal salvation per the baseline, while a teaching note explains the shared Greek root (σῴζω) and the real, but distinct, connection between physical and spiritual restoration in Christ. [TRANSLATOR REVIEW NEEDED: confirm whether kho kom zoo or a qualified kev cawm dim (lub cev) is preferred] — flag per escalation rule for a genuinely new theological-term decision with no direct Romans precedent.
ἐγερεῖ αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος (egerei auton ho kyrios) the Lord will raise him up restoration to health/strength	raise up, restore the Lord will raise him up	5:15 — the healing agent named explicitly as “the Lord”	Built on [TM — Romans baseline] tus Tswv. Proposed: tus Tswv yuav tsa nws sawv rov qab zoo (the Lord will raise him back up, restored). Low-Medium.
ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰς ἁμαρτίας (exomologeisthe allēlois tas hamartias) confess your sins to one another mutual confession within the believing community	confess sins to one another confess your sins to one another	5:16 — anchors “Confession and Restoration,” paired with mutual prayer for healing	NEW TERM. Proposed: lees kev txhaum rau ib leeg, built on [TM — Romans baseline] sin_act_and_condition (txhaum / kev txhaum). Medium risk: distinct from any ritual confession made to a shaman/spirit-intermediary in traditional practice; requires a note that this is horizontal, mutual, restorative confession within the believing community, not a priestly/shamanic mediating confession to a religious specialist.
δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη πολὺ ἰσχύει (deēsis dikaiou energoumenē poly ischyei) the prayer of a righteous person, being worked/exercised, has great strength/effect the effectiveness of fervent, righteous prayer	prayer… has great power / is powerful and effective the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working	5:16 — closing principle before the Elijah example	NEW TERM — note distinct Greek word from dynamis. ἰσχύς (ischys, strength/might) is a different Greek word from δύναμις (dynamis, the term underlying the Romans baseline’s flagged hwjchim entry). Proposed: muaj zog kawg thiab ua tau tiag tiag (has great strength and truly accomplishes/works), deliberately avoiding the word hwjchim here to sidestep the mandatory Vajtswv hwjchim qualifier convention (which governs dynamis, not ischys), while still conveying genuine efficacy. Low-Medium risk as phrased; log as new term for TM-revision to confirm this deliberate lexical choice.
Ἠλίας (Ēlias) Elijah the OT prophet	Elijah Elijah	5:17-18 — a “man with a nature like ours” whose prayer stopped and restarted rain, illustrating v.16’s principle	Proper name, proposed established transliteration Eliyas. Low risk; log as new proper-name entry for TM-revision.
ἐπιστρέψῃ ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐκ πλάνης ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ, σώσει ψυχὴν ἐκ θανάτου, καλύψει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν (epistrepsē hamartōlon ek planēs hodou autou, sōsei psychēn ek thanatou, kalypsei plēthos hamartiōn) turns a sinner from the error of his way, saves a soul from death, covers a multitude of sins restoring a wandering believer preserves them from spiritual death and results in extensive forgiveness	turn back a sinner, save a soul from death, cover many sins turning back a wandering sinner saves his soul from death and covers a multitude of sins	5:19-20 — the letter’s closing exhortation, tying “Confession and Restoration” to eternal stakes	ψυχή (psychē, “soul/life”) here rendered via [TM — Romans baseline]-adjacent ntsuj plig (human spirit/soul, never Vaj-prefixed) or more simply nws txoj sia (his life); θάνατος reuses [TM — Romans baseline] txoj kev tuag; σῴζω reuses [TM — Romans baseline] kev cawm dim, appropriately anchored here since eternal/spiritual rescue (not physical healing) is clearly in view, unlike 5:15. Proposed: pab kom tus uas ua txhaum tig rov qab los, thiaj cawm tau nws txoj sia kom dim ntawm txoj kev tuag, thiab npog tau ntau yam kev txhaum. Medium-High risk overall due to doctrinal weight (eternal stakes of restoring a wanderer) though no direct traditional-religion collision; requires care that cawm/kev cawm dim is understood here (unlike 5:15) in its full soteriological sense.

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§3. Summary — New Terms Requiring Formal TM-Revision Review

Per 12_ai_translation_requirements.md §2 rule 4 and §9’s escalation table, the following categories of new James-specific terms surfaced in this analysis are logged for mandatory review before being treated as permanent additions to the Language Package TM:

1. Critical-priority harmonization terms: ἔργα (works, tej haujlwm), the James 2:21-24 justification cluster (reusing the Romans TM dikaioō rendering under a mandatory harmonizing teaching note), θρησκεία (religion — new forbidden-substitution addition: never kev cai dab qhuas).
2. High-risk collision terms: δαιμόνια (demons, cov dab), διάβολος (devil, dab Ntxwg Nyoog), σοφία... δαιμονιώδης (demonic wisdom), ἀλείφω ἐλαίῳ (anointing with oil), ὅρκος/oath-swearing prohibition, θέλει disputed πνεῦμα referent at 4:5, and the physical-healing sense of σῴζω at 5:15 (proposed departure: kho kom zoo rather than bare reuse of kev cawm dim).
3. New proper names: Yauj (Job), Eliyas (Elijah), Lahaj (Rahab) — logged per §2 rule 4 as ad hoc transliterations pending confirmation against established Hmong Bible tradition.
4. Medium/Low comprehension-gap terms: remainder of the glossary in §8 below.

No chapter of James was found to introduce zero new theological vocabulary; all five chapters contain load-bearing terms requiring analysis, consistent with the full-book-coverage mandate.