James 1
1 Iames a seruant of God, and of the Lord Iesus Christ, to the twelue Tribes, which are scattered abroade, salutation.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, greets the twelve tribes that are living abroad.
2 My brethren, count it exceeding ioy, when ye fall into diuers tentations,
My friends, whatever trials you may face from time to time, always regard them as a reason for rejoicing,
3 Knowing that ye trying of your faith bringeth forth patience,
knowing, as you do, that the testing of your faith develops endurance.
4 And let patience haue her perfect worke, that ye may be perfect and entier, lacking nothing.
And let endurance do its work perfectly, so that you may be altogether perfect, and in no respect lacking.
5 If any of you lacke wisedome, let him aske of God, which giueth to all men liberally, and reprocheth no man, and it shalbe giuen him.
If any one of you lacks wisdom, they should ask wisdom from the God who gives freely to everyone without reproach, and it will be given to them.
6 But let him aske in faith, and wauer not: for hee that wauereth, is like a waue of the sea, tost of the winde, and caried away.
But they should ask with confidence, never doubting; for the person who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven here and there at the mercy of the wind –
7 Neither let that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord.
Such a person must not expect that they will receive anything from the Lord,
8 A double minded man is vnstable in all his waies.
vacillating as they are, irresolute at every turn.
9 Let the brother of lowe degree reioyce in that he is exalted:
Let a follower in humble circumstances be proud of their exalted position,
10 Againe hee that is rich, in that hee is made lowe: for as the flower of the grasse, shall he vanish away.
but a rich follower of their humiliation; for the rich will pass away like a wild flower.
11 For as when the sunne riseth with heate, then the grasse withereth, and his flower falleth away, and the goodly shape of it perisheth: euen so shall the rich man wither away in all his waies.
As the sun rises, and the hot wind blows, the plant withers, its flower fades, and all its beauty is gone. So is it with the rich. In the midst of their pursuits they will wither away.
12 Blessed is ye man, that endureth tentation: for when he is tried, hee shall receiue the crowne of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him.
Blessed is the person who remains firm under temptation, for, when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 Let no man say when hee is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God can not bee tempted with euill, neither tempteth he any man.
Let no one say, when they are tempted, ‘It is God who is tempting me!’ For God, who cannot be tempted to do wrong, does not himself tempt anyone.
14 But euery man is tempted, when hee is drawen away by his owne concupiscence, and is entised.
A man is in every case tempted by their own passions – allured and enticed by them.
15 Then when lust hath conceiued, it bringeth foorth sinne, and sinne when it is finished, bringeth foorth death.
Then passion conceives and gives birth to sin, and sin, on reaching maturity, brings forth death.
16 Erre not, my deare brethren.
Do not be deceived, my dear friends.
17 Euery good giuing, and euery perfect gift is from aboue, and commeth downe from the Father of lights, with whome is no variablenes, neither shadow of turning.
Every good thing given us, and every perfect gift, is from above, and comes down to us from the Father of the lights in the heavens, who is himself never subject to change or to eclipse.
18 Of his owne will begate hee vs with the woorde of trueth, that we shoulde be as the first fruites of his creatures.
Because he so willed, he gave us life, through the message of the truth, so that we should be, as it were, a kind of first fruits of his creation.
19 Wherefore my deare brethren, let euery man be swift to heare, slowe to speake, and slowe to wrath.
Mark this, my dear friends – Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry;
20 For the wrath of man doeth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God.
for human anger does not forward the righteous purpose of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse, and superfluitie of maliciousnesse, and receiue with meekenes the word that is graffed in you, which is able to saue your soules.
Therefore, get rid of all filthiness and whatever wickedness still remains, and in a humble spirit receive that message which has been planted in your hearts and is able to save your souls.
22 And be ye doers of the word, and not hearers onely, deceiuing your owne selues.
Put that message into practice, and do not merely listen to it – deceiving yourselves.
23 For if any heare the woorde, and doe it not, he is like vnto a man, that beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse.
For, when anyone listens to it and does not practice it, they are like a person looking at their own face in a mirror.
24 For when he hath considered himselfe, hee goeth his way, and forgetteth immediately what maner of one he was.
They look at themselves, then go on their way,
25 But who so looketh in the perfect Lawe of libertie, and continueth therein, hee not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the woorke, shalbe blessed in his deede.
but the person who looks carefully into the perfect Law, the Law of freedom, and continues to do so, not listening to it and then forgetting it, but putting it into practice – that person will be blessed in what they do.
26 If any man amog you seeme religious, and refraineth not his tongue, but deceiueth his owne heart, this mans religion is vaine.
When a person appears to be religious, yet does not bridle their tongue, but imposes on their own conscience, that person’s religious observances are valueless.
27 Pure religion and vndefiled before God, euen the Father, is this, to visite the fatherlesse, and widdowes in their aduersitie, and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world.
That religious observance which is pure and spotless in the eyes of God our Father is this – to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself uncontaminated by the world.
