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 of the Dispersion, 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 manifold temptations;
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Knowing that the proof of your faith worketh patience.
4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
And let patience have [its] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking 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 of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall 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 the surge 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 of the Lord;
8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.
But let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate:
10 But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.
and the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall 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 ariseth with the scorching wind, and withereth the grass; and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his goings.
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 hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which [the Lord] 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 man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man:
14 But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.
but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, 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 the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Be not deceived, 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 boon is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by 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 brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19 My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
Ye know [this], my beloved brethren. But 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 putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, 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 ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves.
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 unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror:
24 and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth 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 that looketh into the perfect law, the [law] of liberty, and [so] continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth, but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.
26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his 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 our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world.
