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, To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: Greetings.
2 My brethren, count it exceeding ioy, when ye fall into diuers tentations,
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
3 Knowing that ye trying of your faith bringeth forth patience,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
4 And let patience haue her perfect worke, that ye may be perfect and entier, lacking nothing.
Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
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.
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.
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 he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7 Neither let that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord.
That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 A double minded man is vnstable in all his waies.
He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the brother of lowe degree reioyce in that he is exalted:
The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high 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 the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.
14 But euery man is tempted, when hee is drawen away by his owne concupiscence, and is entised.
But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceiued, it bringeth foorth sinne, and sinne when it is finished, bringeth foorth death.
Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16 Erre not, my deare brethren.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
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 and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
18 Of his owne will begate hee vs with the woorde of trueth, that we shoulde be as the first fruites of his creatures.
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.
19 Wherefore my deare brethren, let euery man be swift to heare, slowe to speake, and slowe to wrath.
My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
20 For the wrath of man doeth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God.
for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.
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 moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.
22 And be ye doers of the word, and not hearers onely, deceiuing your owne selues.
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are 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 anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror,
24 For when he hath considered himselfe, hee goeth his way, and forgetteth immediately what maner of one he was.
and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
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 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.
26 If any man amog you seeme religious, and refraineth not his tongue, but deceiueth his owne heart, this mans religion is vaine.
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
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.
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.
