James 1
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, sends greeting to the twelve tribes that are scattered abroad.
2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into various temptations;
My brothers, when you are beset by various temptations, count it all joy,
3 knowing that the trying of your faith worketh endurance.
because you know that the testing of your faith is working out endurance.
4 But let endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting in nothing.
But let endurance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and entire, not lacking in anything.
5 But if any one of you is wanting in wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; and it will be given him.
If any one of you is lacking in wisdom, let him ask it from the God who gives to all men freely and without upbraiding; and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting; for he that doubteth is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
But let him ask in faith, without wavering; for he who wavers is like a surge of the sea, wind-driven and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord,
Such a man need not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 a double-minded man as he is, unstable in all his ways.
double-minded as he is, unstable at every turn.
9 Let the brother of low degree glory in that he is exalted;
Let a brother in humble circumstances glory in his exaltation;
10 but the rich, in that he is made low; because as the flower of the grass he will pass away.
but a rich brother, in his humiliation; because like the flower of the grass the rich man will pass away.
11 For the sun rose with its burning heat, and withered the grass, and its flower fell off, and the beauty of its appearance perished; so also will the rich man fade away in his ways.
For as the sun comes up with a burning heat, it withers the grass, and its flowers fall, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes; so also shall the rich man fade away amid his pursuits.
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is approved, he will receive the crown of life, which He promised to them that love him.
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 Let no one when he is tempted, say, I am tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he tempteth no one.
When he is being tempted, let no one say, "It is God who tempts me," for God cannot be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man.
14 But each one is tempted when by his own lust he is led away and enticed;
But each man is tempted by his own lusts that allure and entice him.
15 then lust, having conceived, bringeth forth sin, and sin, when completed, bringeth forth death.
Then lust conceives and gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is mature, brings forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Do not be deceived, my brothers!
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no change, nor shadow from turning.
Every good gift and every perfect boon is from above, and is ever coming down to us from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom is no variation nor shadow of eclipse.
18 Of his own will he begot us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.
Because he willed, he gave us birth through the word of truth, so that we should be a kind of first-fruits among his creatures.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
Mark this well, my dear brothers. Let every man be swift in hearing, slow in speaking, slow in growing angry;
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
for a man’s anger does not further the righteous purpose of God.
21 Wherefore put off all filthiness, and excess of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
So strip off all filthiness and superfluity of wickedness, and in meekness receive the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
And become doers of the Word, and not merely hearers, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if any one is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass;
Because if any one is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
24 for he beholds himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what manner of man he was.
for after he has looked carefully at himself, he goes away, and at once forgets what he is like.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty, and remains there, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in his deed.
But the man who looks closely into the perfect law - the law of liberty - and continues looking, this man will be blessed in his deed because he is not a hearer who forgets, but a doer who does.
26 If any one thinks that he is religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
If a man thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own religion,
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God, the Father, is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep one's self unspotted from the world.
and undefiled before our God and Father, to look after orphans and widows in their affliction, and ever to keep himself unspotted from the world.
