James 1
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, greets the twelve tribes that are living abroad.
James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, sends greeting to the twelve tribes that are scattered abroad.
2 My friends, whatever trials you may face from time to time, always regard them as a reason for rejoicing,
My brothers, when you are beset by various temptations, count it all joy,
3 knowing, as you do, that the testing of your faith develops endurance.
because you know that the testing of your faith is working out endurance.
4 And let endurance do its work perfectly, so that you may be altogether perfect, and in no respect lacking.
But let endurance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and entire, not lacking in anything.
5 If any one of you lacks wisdom, they should ask wisdom from the God who gives freely to everyone without reproach, and it will be given to them.
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 they should ask with confidence, never doubting; for the person who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven here and there at the mercy of the wind –
But let him ask in faith, without wavering; for he who wavers is like a surge of the sea, wind-driven and tossed.
7 Such a person must not expect that they will receive anything from the Lord,
Such a man need not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 vacillating as they are, irresolute at every turn.
double-minded as he is, unstable at every turn.
9 Let a follower in humble circumstances be proud of their exalted position,
Let a brother in humble circumstances glory in his exaltation;
10 but a rich follower of their humiliation; for the rich will pass away like a wild flower.
but a rich brother, in his humiliation; because like the flower of the grass the rich man will pass away.
11 As the sun rises, and the hot wind blows, the plant withers, its flower fades, and all its beauty is gone. So is it with the rich. In the midst of their pursuits they will wither away.
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 person who remains firm under temptation, for, when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who 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 say, when they are tempted, ‘It is God who is tempting me!’ For God, who cannot be tempted to do wrong, does not himself tempt anyone.
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 A man is in every case tempted by their own passions – allured and enticed by them.
But each man is tempted by his own lusts that allure and entice him.
15 Then passion conceives and gives birth to sin, and sin, on reaching maturity, brings forth death.
Then lust conceives and gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is mature, brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my dear friends.
Do not be deceived, my brothers!
17 Every good thing given us, and every perfect gift, is from above, and comes down to us from the Father of the lights in the heavens, who is himself never subject to change or to eclipse.
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 Because he so willed, he gave us life, through the message of the truth, so that we should be, as it were, a kind of first fruits of his creation.
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 Mark this, my dear friends – Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry;
Mark this well, my dear brothers. Let every man be swift in hearing, slow in speaking, slow in growing angry;
20 for human anger does not forward the righteous purpose of God.
for a man’s anger does not further the righteous purpose of God.
21 Therefore, get rid of all filthiness and whatever wickedness still remains, and in a humble spirit receive that message which has been planted in your hearts and 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 Put that message into practice, and do not merely listen to it – deceiving yourselves.
And become doers of the Word, and not merely hearers, deceiving yourselves.
23 For, when anyone listens to it and does not practice it, they are like a person looking at their own face in a mirror.
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 They look at themselves, then go on their way,
for after he has looked carefully at himself, he goes away, and at once forgets what he is like.
25 but the person who looks carefully into the perfect Law, the Law of freedom, and continues to do so, not listening to it and then forgetting it, but putting it into practice – that person will be blessed in what they do.
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 When a person appears to be religious, yet does not bridle their tongue, but imposes on their own conscience, that person’s religious observances are valueless.
If a man thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own religion,
27 That religious observance which is pure and spotless in the eyes of God our Father is this – to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself uncontaminated by 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.
