James 1
1 James the servant of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
JAMES, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are dispersed, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers temptations;
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into various trials;
3 Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
knowing that the proof of your faith produceth patience.
4 And patience hath a perfect work; that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing.
But let patience have its work perfected, that ye may be perfect and complete, deficient in nothing.
5 But if any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men abundantly, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
But if any man of you be deficient in wisdom, let him ask it of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, which is moved and carried about by the wind.
But let him ask in faith, harbouring no doubt: for he who is doubtful is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind, and in constant agitation.
7 Therefore let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing from the Lord.
8 A double minded man is inconstant in all his ways.
A double-minded man is unsteady in all his ways.
9 But let the brother of low condition glory in his exaltation:
Let the brother low in station rejoice in his elevation:
10 And the rich, in his being low; because as the flower of the grass shall he pass away.
but the rich, in his abasement: for as the flower of grass he shall pass away.
11 For the sun rose with a burning heat, and parched the grass, and the flower thereof fell off, and the beauty of the shape thereof perished: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
For the sun arose with fervour, and burnt up the grass, and the flower of it fell off, and the beauty of its appearance was lost: just so the rich man in his course of life shall wither away.
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been proved, he shall receive a crown of life, which God hath promised to them that love him.
Blessed is the man who patiently supports temptation: for when he is proved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to those who love him.
13 Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. For God is not a tempter of evils, and he tempteth no man.
Let no man under temptation say, I am tempted of God: for God is incapable of temptation from evils, and he tempteth no man:
14 But every man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured.
but every person is tempted, when by his own peculiar passion he is born away, and ensnared.
15 Then when concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin. But sin, when it is completed, begetteth death.
Then passion impregnated, bringeth forth sin, and sin reaching its consummation, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, therefore, my dearest brethren.
Be not deceived, my beloved brethren.
17 Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration.
Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, descending from the father of illuminations, with whom there is no variableness, nor shadow of change.
18 For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creatures.
Of his own choice he produced us by the word of truth, that we might be a sort of first fruit of his creatures.―
19 You know, my dearest brethren. And let every man be swift to hear, but 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 the anger of man worketh not the justice of God.
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore casting away all uncleanness, and abundance of naughtiness, with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Wherefore laying aside all vicious pollution, and the abundance of iniquity, receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which hath power to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves by false reasoning.
23 For if a man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he shall be compared to a man beholding his own countenance in a glass.
For if any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man that looks at his natural face in a glass;
24 For he beheld himself, and went his way, and presently forgot what manner of man he was.
for he beheld himself, and went away, and immediately forgot what sort of person he was.
25 But he that hath looked into the perfect law of liberty, and hath continued therein, not becoming a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work; this man shall be blessed in his deed.
But he that looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and perseveres, this man not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, he shall be blessed in his practice.
26 And if any man think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
If any man thinks he is a religious character among you, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
27 Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation: and to keep one’s self unspotted from this world.
Pure religion and undefiled with God even the Father is this, To pay diligent attention to the orphans and widows in their affliction, and to preserve himself spotless from the world.
