James 1
1 James, bondman of God and of [the] Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which [are] in the dispersion, greeting.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are scattered abroad: Greetings.
2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into various temptations,
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you experience various trials,
3 knowing that the proving of your faith works endurance.
because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 But let endurance have [its] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any one of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all freely and reproaches not, and it shall be given to him:
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 but let him ask in faith, nothing doubting. For he that doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed about;
But he must ask in faith without doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed about.
7 for let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord;
That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 [he is] a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.
9 But let the brother of low degree glory in his elevation,
The lowly brother should rejoice in being exalted,
10 and the rich in his humiliation, because as [the] grass's flower he will pass away.
and the rich man should rejoice in being made low, because he will pass away like a flower of grass.
11 For the sun has risen with its burning heat, and has withered the grass, and its flower has fallen, and the comeliness of its look has perished: thus the rich also shall wither in his goings.
For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass, and its flower falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in his pursuits.
12 Blessed [is the] man who endures temptation; for, having been proved, he shall receive the crown of life, which He has promised to them that love him.
Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 Let no man, being tempted, say, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted by evil things, and himself tempts no one.
No one should say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God is not tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.
14 But every one is tempted, drawn away, and enticed by his own lust;
But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires.
15 then lust, having conceived, gives birth to sin; but sin fully completed brings forth death.
And when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. And when sin is fully grown, it brings forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation nor shadow of turning.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
18 According to his own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we should be a certain first-fruits of his creatures.
Of his own will he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19 So that, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
So then, my beloved brothers, everyone should be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
20 for man's wrath does not work God's righteousness.
For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore, laying aside all filthiness and abounding of wickedness, accept with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and rampant wickedness, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of [the] word and not hearers only, beguiling yourselves.
But be doers of the word and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
23 For if any man be a hearer of [the] word and not a doer, he is like to a man considering his natural face in a mirror:
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror.
24 for he has considered himself and is gone away, and straightway he has forgotten what he was like.
For he looks at himself and goes away, and then immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 But he that fixes his view on [the] perfect law, that of liberty, and abides in [it], being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of [the] work, he shall be blessed in his doing.
But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts. He will be blessed in what he does.
26 If any one think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, this man's religion is vain.
If anyone among you considers himself to be religious but does not bridle his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Pure and undefiled religion before God our Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
