James 1
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are in the dispersion: Greetings!
James, servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes of the dispersion, greetings.
2 Count [it] all joy, my brothers, when you may fall into manifold temptations,
My brothers, when you have fallen into various trials, consider everything a joy,
3 knowing that the proof of your faith works endurance,
knowing that the proving of your faith exercises patience,
4 and let the endurance have a perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
and patience brings a work to perfection, so that you may be perfect and whole, deficient in nothing.
5 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;
But if anyone among you is in need of wisdom, let him petition God, who gives abundantly to all without reproach, and it shall be given to him.
6 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;
But he should ask with faith, doubting nothing. For he who doubts is like a wave on the ocean, which is moved about by the wind and carried away;
7 for do not let that man suppose that he will receive anything from the LORD—
then a man should not consider that he would receive anything from the Lord.
8 a soul-split man [is] unstable in all his ways.
For a man who is of two minds is inconstant in all his ways.
9 And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation,
Now a humble brother should glory in his exaltation,
10 but the rich in his becoming low, because he will pass away as a flower of grass;
and a rich one, in his humiliation, for he will pass away like the flower of the grass.
11 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!
For the sun has risen with a scorching heat, and has dried the grass, and its flower has fallen off, and the appearance of its beauty has perished. So also will the rich one wither away, according to his paths.
12 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.
Blessed is the man who suffers temptation. For when he has been proven, he shall receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.
13 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,
No one should say, when he is tempted, that he was tempted by God. For God does not entice toward evils, and he himself tempts no one.
14 but each one is tempted, being led away and enticed by his own desires;
Yet truly, each one is tempted by his own desires, having been enticed and drawn away.
15 afterward the desire having conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin having been perfected, brings forth death.
Thereafter, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. Yet truly sin, when it has been consummated, produces death.
16 Do not be led astray, my beloved brothers.
And so, do not choose to go astray, my most beloved brothers.
17 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;
Every excellent gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor any shadow of alteration.
18 having willed [it], He begot us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit of His creatures.
For by his own will he produced us through the Word of truth, so that we might be a kind of beginning among his creatures.
19 So then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
You know this, my most beloved brothers. So let every man be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to anger.
20 for the wrath of a man does not work the righteousness of God;
For the anger of man does not accomplish the justice of God.
21 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;
Because of this, having cast away all uncleanness and an abundance of malice, receive with meekness the newly-grafted Word, which is able to save your souls.
22 and become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,
So be doers of the Word, and not listeners only, deceiving yourselves.
23 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,
For if anyone is a listener of the Word, but not also a doer, he is comparable to a man gazing into a mirror upon the face that he was born with;
24 for he viewed himself, and has gone away, and immediately he forgot what kind of [man] he was;
and after considering himself, he went away and promptly forgot what he had seen.
25 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.
But he who gazes upon the perfect law of liberty, and who remains in it, is not a forgetful hearer, but instead a doer of the work. He shall be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone thinks to be religious among you, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, the religion of this one [is] vain;
But if anyone considers himself to be religious, but he does not restrain his tongue, but instead seduces his own heart: such a one’s religion is vanity.
27 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.
This is religion, clean and undefiled before God the Father: to visit orphans and widows in their tribulations, and to keep yourself immaculate, apart from this age.
