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 who are in the dispersion: Greetings!
2 My brethren, count it exceeding ioy, when ye fall into diuers tentations,
Count [it] all joy, my brothers, when you may fall into manifold temptations,
3 Knowing that ye trying of your faith bringeth forth patience,
knowing that the proof of your faith works endurance,
4 And let patience haue her perfect worke, that ye may be perfect and entier, lacking nothing.
and let the endurance have a perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
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.
And if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from God, who is giving to all generously, and not reproaching, 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 let him ask in faith, doubting nothing, for he who is doubting has been like a wave of the sea, driven by wind and tossed;
7 Neither let that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord.
for do not let that man suppose that he will receive anything from the LORD—
8 A double minded man is vnstable in all his waies.
a soul-split man [is] unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the brother of lowe degree reioyce in that he is exalted:
And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation,
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 rich in his becoming low, because he will pass away as a flower of grass;
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 rose with the burning heat, and withered the grass, and the flower of it fell, and the beauty of its appearance perished, so also the rich in his way will fade 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 man who endures temptation, because, becoming approved, he will receive the garland of life, which the LORD promised to those loving 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 who is being tempted say, “I am tempted from God,” for God is not tempted by evils, and Himself tempts no one,
14 But euery man is tempted, when hee is drawen away by his owne concupiscence, and is entised.
but each one is tempted, being led away and enticed by his own desires;
15 Then when lust hath conceiued, it bringeth foorth sinne, and sinne when it is finished, bringeth foorth death.
afterward the desire having conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin having been perfected, brings forth death.
16 Erre not, my deare brethren.
Do not be led astray, 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 giving, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of turning;
18 Of his owne will begate hee vs with the woorde of trueth, that we shoulde be as the first fruites of his creatures.
having willed [it], He begot us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit of His creatures.
19 Wherefore my deare brethren, let euery man be swift to heare, slowe to speake, and slowe to wrath.
So then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
20 For the wrath of man doeth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God.
for the wrath of a man does not work the righteousness 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.
for this reason, having put aside all filthiness and superabundance of evil, receive the implanted word in meekness, that is able to save your souls;
22 And be ye doers of the word, and not hearers onely, deceiuing your owne selues.
and become doers of the word, and not hearers only, 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.
because, if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one has been like to a man viewing his natural face in a mirror,
24 For when he hath considered himselfe, hee goeth his way, and forgetteth immediately what maner of one he was.
for he viewed himself, and has gone away, and immediately he forgot what kind of [man] he was;
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 he who looked into [the] perfect law—that of liberty, and continued there, not becoming a forgetful hearer, but a doer of work—this one will be blessed in his doing.
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 thinks to be religious among you, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, the religion of this one [is] vain;
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.
religion pure and undefiled with the God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation—to keep himself unspotted from the world.
