< James 1 >
1 James, a bondman of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion, greeting.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.
2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when ye encounter various trials,
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let perseverance have a perfect work, so that ye may be perfect and complete, falling short in nothing.
Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 And if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from God who gives to all generously and not reproaching, and it will be given to him.
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by wind and tossed about.
But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed.
7 For that man should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord,
For that man shouldn’t think that he will receive anything from the Lord.
8 a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Now let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,
Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position;
10 but the rich in his lowliness, because as a flower of grass he will pass away.
and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away.
11 For the sun rose up with the burning heat, and withered the grass. And the flower of it fell, and the beauty of its appearance perished. So also the rich man will fade away among his pursuits.
For the sun arises with the scorching wind and withers the grass; and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So the rich man will also fade away in his pursuits.
12 Blessed is a man who endures temptation, because, having become approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him.
Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God, for God is without temptation of evils, and he himself tempts no man.
Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.
14 But each man is tempted by his own lust, being drawn away and enticed.
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed.
15 Then the lust having conceived, it gives birth to sin, and after being complete the sin brings forth death.
Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin. The sin, when it is full grown, produces death.
16 Be not led astray, my beloved brothers.
Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers.
17 Every good gift and every perfect endowment is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation nor shadow of turning.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation nor turning shadow.
18 Having deliberated, he begot us by the word of truth for us to be a certain first fruit of his creatures.
Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
19 Therefore, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;
20 For the wrath of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.
for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.
21 Therefore having put off all filthiness and profusion of evil, receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.
23 Because if any man is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this resembles a man observing his natural face in a mirror.
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror;
24 For he observes himself, and goes away, and straightaway forgets what kind of man he was.
for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25 But he who stooped to look into the perfect law, the one of liberty, and who remained, this man, who did not become a forgetful hearer but a doer of work, this man will be blessed in his doing.
But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom and continues, not being a hearer who forgets but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.
26 If any man among you seems to be religious, not bridling his tongue but deceiving his heart, this man's religion is futile.
If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless.
27 Pure religion and undefiled from God and the Father is this, to go help the orphaned and the widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.