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 in the dispersion: Greetings!
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you experience various troubles.
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
You know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Let endurance complete its work, so that you may become fully developed and complete, not lacking anything.
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 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 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, doubting nothing. For anyone who doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven by the wind and tossed around.
7 That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
For that person must not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.
8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Such a person is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.
9 The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.
Let the poor brother boast of his high position,
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 man of his low position, because he will pass away as a wild flower in the grass.
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 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 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 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 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 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 each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.
But each person is tempted by his own desire, which drags him away and entices him.
15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Then after the desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and after the sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
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. It comes down from the Father of lights. With him there is no changing or shadow because of turning.
18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.
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 My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
You know this, my beloved brothers: Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.
For the anger of man does not work 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.
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 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
Be doers of the word and not only hearers, 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 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 and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
He examines himself and then goes away and immediately forgets what he was like.
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 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 anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
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 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.
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.
