James 1
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: Greetings.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into various temptations;
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
knowing that the trying of your faith worketh endurance.
4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
But let endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting in nothing.
5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
But if any one of you is wanting in wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; and it will be given him.
6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting; for he that doubteth is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
7 That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
For let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord,
8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
a double-minded man as he is, unstable in all his ways.
9 The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.
Let the brother of low degree glory in that he is exalted;
10 But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.
but the rich, in that he is made low; because as the flower of the grass he will pass away.
11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
For the sun rose with its burning heat, and withered the grass, and its flower fell off, and the beauty of its appearance perished; so also will the rich man fade away in his ways.
12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is approved, he will receive the crown of life, which He promised to them that love him.
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.
Let no one when he is tempted, say, I am tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he tempteth no one.
14 But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.
But each one is tempted when by his own lust he is led away and enticed;
15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
then lust, having conceived, bringeth forth sin, and sin, when completed, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Do not err, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no change, nor shadow from turning.
18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.
Of his own will he begot us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.
19 My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.
Wherefore put off all filthiness, and excess of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror,
For if any one is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass;
24 and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
for he beholds himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what manner of man he was.
25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty, and remains there, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in his deed.
26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
If any one thinks that he is religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
27 Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Pure religion and undefiled before God, the Father, is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep one's self unspotted from the world.
