James 1
1 This letter comes from James, servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is sent to the twelve tribes scattered abroad. Best wishes to you!
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are of the Dispersion, greeting.
2 My friends, choose to stay happy even when all kinds of troubles come your way,
Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations;
3 because you know that endurance comes from dealing with challenges to your trust in God.
Knowing that the proof of your faith worketh patience.
4 Let your endurance become as strong as possible, so that you will be completely mature, without any shortcomings.
And let patience have [its] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you need wisdom, ask God, who gives generously to everyone without holding back.
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 when you ask, remember to trust in God—don't have any doubts. Someone who doubts is like the crashing waves of the sea, tossed about and driven 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 Nobody like that should think they'll get anything from the Lord—
For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord;
8 their minds think every which way, and they're unstable in whatever they do.
a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Believers who are born poor should take pride in the high position they've been given,
But let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate:
10 while the rich should “boast” in the humble position they now have, since they will fade away like flowers in 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 along with the blistering wind and scorches the grass. The flowers fall and their beauty is marred. Everything the rich achieve will fade in just the same way.
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 Happy is anyone who patiently endures temptation, for when they've proved that they are trustworthy, they will receive the crown of life which God promises 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 Nobody should say when they're tempted, “I'm being tempted by God.” For God is not 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 Temptations come from our own evil desires that lead us astray and entrap us.
but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
15 Such desires lead to sin, and sin, when it's fully developed, causes death.
Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death.
16 My dear friends, don't be deceived.
Be not deceived, my beloved brethren.
17 All that's good, every perfect gift, is from above, and comes down from the Father who made heaven's lights. Unlike them he doesn't change—he doesn't vary or cause shadows.
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 new life through the word of truth, so that out of all his creation we would be very special to him.
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 Remember this, my dear friends: everyone should be quick to listen but slow to speak, and slow to get angry,
Ye know [this], my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 because human anger doesn't reflect the good character of God.
for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 So get rid of all that's filthy and evil. Humbly accept the word that's been implanted within you—for this is what can save you.
Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But do what the word says—don't just listen to it and delude yourselves.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves.
23 If you just listen to the word, and don't act on it, it's like staring at your own 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 You see yourself, but then you leave, and immediately forget what you looked like.
for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But if you look to the perfect law of freedom and follow it, not as someone who just listens and then forgets, but as someone who acts on it—then you will be blessed in what you do.
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 you think you're religious, but don't control what you say, you deceive yourself—your religion is pointless.
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 In the eyes of our God and Father, religion that's pure and genuine is to visit orphans and widows in their suffering, and to keep yourself from being contaminated 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.
