James 1
1 James, a servant of God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are in the dispersion, greeting.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion: Greetings!
2 My brethren, count it all joy, when you fall into manifold trials,
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you experience various troubles.
3 knowing that the trial of your faith produces patience.
You know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 But let patience have its work perfected, that you may be perfect and faultless, wanting in nothing.
Let endurance complete its work, so that you may become fully developed and complete, not lacking anything.
5 Now, if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him.
But if any of you needs wisdom, let him ask for it from God, the one who gives generously and without rebuke to all who ask, and he will give it to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, doubting not: for he that doubts, is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind, and tossed.
But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing. For anyone who doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven by the wind and tossed around.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing from the Lord.
For that person must not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.
8 A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Such a person is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the brother that is in a lowly condition, glory in his exaltation:
Let the poor brother boast of his high position,
10 but he that is rich, in his humiliation; because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
but the rich man of his low position, because he will pass away as a wild flower in the grass.
11 For the sun rises with its burning heat, and withers the grass, and its flower falls, and the beauty of its form perishes. So, also, shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
For the sun rises with burning heat and dries up the grass. The flower falls off, and its beauty perishes. In the same way, the rich man will fade away in the middle of his journey.
12 Blessed is the man that endures trial: for, being approved, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him.
Blessed is the man who endures testing. For after he has passed the test, he will receive the crown of life, which has been promised to those who love God.
13 Let no one say, when he is tempted, My temptation is from God; for God can not be tempted by evils, and he himself tempts no man.
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” because God is not tempted by evil, nor does he himself tempt anyone.
14 But every one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desire, and is deluded.
But each person is tempted by his own desire, which drags him away and entices him.
15 So, then, desire, when it has conceived, brings forth sin; and sin, when it is matured, brings forth death.
Then after the desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and after the sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.
16 Be not deceived, my beloved brethren;
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
17 every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor slightest trace of turning.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. It comes down from the Father of lights. With him there is no changing or shadow because of turning.
18 Of his own will, he begot us with the word of truth, in order that we might be, as it were, the first-fruits of his creatures.
God chose to give us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all the things that he created.
19 So, then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
You know this, my beloved brothers: Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
20 For the wrath of man produces not the righteousness of God.
For the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore, laying aside all filthiness, and every excess caused by malice, receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Therefore take off all sinful filth and abundant amounts of evil. In humility receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Be doers of the word and not only hearers, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if any one is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man that looks at his natural face in a mirror:
For if anyone is a hearer of the word but not a doer, he is like a man who examines his natural face in a mirror.
24 for he looks at himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what sort of person he is.
He examines himself and then goes away and immediately forgets what he was like.
25 But he that looks intently into the perfect law of liberty, and remains constant, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, he shall be blessed in his deed.
But the person who looks carefully into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so, not just being a hearer who forgets, this man will be blessed in his actions.
26 If any one among you seems to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
If anyone thinks himself to be religious, but if he does not control his tongue, he deceives his heart, and his religion is worthless.
27 Religion, pure and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Religion that is pure and unspoiled before our God and Father is to help the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
