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, —unto the twelve tribes that are in the dispersion, Wishes joy.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
All Joy, account it, my brethren, whensoever ye fall in with, manifold, temptations, —
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Taking note, that, the proving of your faith, worketh out endurance;
4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
But let, your endurance, have, mature work, that ye may be mature and complete, in nothing, coming short.
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 is sinning short of wisdom, let him be asking of God, Who giveth unto all freely 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 be asking in faith, nothing, doubting, for, he that doubteth, is like a wave of the sea, wind-driven and storm-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 two-souled man, unstable in all his ways.
9 The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.
But boasting be the lowly brother in his uplifting;
10 But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.
Whereas the rich, in his being brought low, —because, as a flower of 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 hath sprung up, with it scorching heat, and hath withered the grass, and, the flower thereof, hath fallen out, and, the beauty of the face thereof, hath perished, —so, also the rich, in his goings, shall languish.
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.
Happy the man who endureth temptation! Because, becoming approved, he shall receive the crown of life—which he hath promised unto 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, while tempted, be saying—From God, am I tempted, —for, God, cannot be tempted by things evil, and, himself, 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 coveting, he is drawn out 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 coveting, having conceived, giveth birth to sin, and, the sin, when full-grown, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Be not deceived, my brethren beloved: —
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 giving, and every perfect gift, is, from above, coming down from the Father of lights—with whom is no alternation, nor shadow 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.
Because he was so minded, he hath brought us forth with a word of truth, to the end we should be a sort of firstfruit of his creatures
19 My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
Ye know, my brethren beloved, —but let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.
For, man’s anger, worketh not, God’s righteousness.
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 overflow of baseness, in meekness, welcome ye the word fitted for inward growth, which is able to save your souls:
22 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
Become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only—reasoning yourselves astray;
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,
Because, if any is, a word-hearer, and not a doer, the same, is like unto a man observing his natural face in a mirror, —
24 and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
For he observed himself, and is gone away, and, straightway, it hath escaped him, —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 hath obtained a nearer view into the perfect law of liberty, and hath taken up his abode by it, becoming—not a forgetful hearer, but a work doer, the same, happy in his doing, shall be.
26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
If any thinketh he is observant of religion, not curbing his own tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this one’s, religious observance 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.
Religious observance, pure and undefiled with our God and Father, is, this—to be visiting orphans and widows in their affliction, unspotted, to keep, himself, from the world.
