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, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion: Greetings!
2 Count [it] all joy, my brothers, when you may fall into manifold temptations,
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you experience various troubles.
3 knowing that the proof of your faith works endurance,
You know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 and let the endurance have a perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Let endurance complete its work, so that you may become fully developed and complete, not lacking anything.
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 any of you needs wisdom, let him ask for it from God, the one who gives generously and without rebuke to all who ask, and he will give it 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 let him ask in faith, doubting nothing. For anyone who doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven by the wind and tossed around.
7 for do not let that man suppose that he will receive anything from the LORD—
For that person must not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.
8 a soul-split man [is] unstable in all his ways.
Such a person is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.
9 And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation,
Let the poor brother boast of his high position,
10 but the rich in his becoming low, because he will pass away as a flower of grass;
but the rich man of his low position, because he will pass away as a wild flower in 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 rises with burning heat and dries up the grass. The flower falls off, and its beauty perishes. In the same way, the rich man will fade away in the middle of his journey.
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 endures testing. For after he has passed the test, he will receive the crown of life, which has been promised to those who love God.
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,
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” because God is not tempted by evil, nor does he himself tempt anyone.
14 but each one is tempted, being led away and enticed by his own desires;
But each person is tempted by his own desire, which drags him away and entices him.
15 afterward the desire having conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin having been perfected, brings forth death.
Then after the desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and after the sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.
16 Do not be led astray, my beloved brothers.
Do not be deceived, my 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 good gift and every perfect gift is from above. It comes down from the Father of lights. With him there is no changing or shadow because of turning.
18 having willed [it], He begot us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit of His creatures.
God chose to give us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all the things that he created.
19 So then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
You know this, my beloved brothers: Let every man be quick to hear, 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 work the righteousness 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;
Therefore take off all sinful filth and abundant amounts of evil. In humility receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 and become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,
Be doers of the word and not only hearers, 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 hearer of the word but not a doer, he is like a man who examines his natural face in a mirror.
24 for he viewed himself, and has gone away, and immediately he forgot what kind of [man] he was;
He examines himself and then goes away and immediately forgets what he was like.
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 the person who looks carefully into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so, not just being a hearer who forgets, this man will be blessed in his actions.
26 If anyone thinks to be religious among you, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, the religion of this one [is] vain;
If anyone thinks himself to be religious, but if he does not control his tongue, he deceives his heart, and his religion is worthless.
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.
Religion that is pure and unspoiled before our God and Father is to help the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
