James 1
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Diaspora: 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 encounter various trials,
My brothers, when you have fallen into various trials, consider everything a joy,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
knowing that the proving of your faith exercises patience,
4 Let endurance have its 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 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without finding fault; 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, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
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 let that person not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.
then a man should not consider that he would receive anything from the Lord.
8 He is a double-minded person, unstable in all his ways.
For a man who is of two minds is inconstant in all his ways.
9 But let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position;
Now a humble brother should glory in his exaltation,
10 and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away.
and a rich one, in his humiliation, for he will pass away like the flower of the grass.
11 For the sun arises with the scorching wind, and withers the grass, and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So also will the rich person fade away in his pursuits.
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 one who perseveres under trial, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which he promised to those who love 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 say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he 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, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
Yet truly, each one is tempted by his own desires, having been enticed and drawn away.
15 Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, 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 deceived, my beloved brothers.
And so, do not choose to go astray, my most beloved brothers.
17 All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.
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 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits 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 This you know, my beloved brothers. But let every person be swift to hear, slow to speak, and 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 human anger does not produce the righteousness of God.
For the anger of man does not accomplish the justice of God.
21 Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which 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 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.
So be doers of the Word, and not listeners only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at 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 sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was.
and after considering himself, he went away and promptly forgot what he had seen.
25 But he who looks into the perfect Law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this person will be blessed in what he does.
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 himself to be religious while he does not control his tongue, but deceives his heart, this one's religion is worthless.
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 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by 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.
