James 1
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, greets the twelve tribes that are living abroad.
James, of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ a servant, to the Twelve Tribes who are in the dispersion: Hail!
2 My friends, whatever trials you may face from time to time, always regard them as a reason for rejoicing,
All joy count [it], my brethren, when ye may fall into temptations manifold;
3 knowing, as you do, that the testing of your faith develops endurance.
knowing that the proof of your faith doth work endurance,
4 And let endurance do its work perfectly, so that you may be altogether perfect, and in no respect lacking.
and let the endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire — in nothing lacking;
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.
and if any of you do lack wisdom, let him ask from God, who is giving to all liberally, and not reproaching, and it shall 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 –
and let him ask in faith, nothing doubting, for he who is doubting hath been like a wave of the sea, driven by wind and tossed,
7 Such a person must not expect that they will receive anything from the Lord,
for let not that man suppose that he shall receive anything from the Lord —
8 vacillating as they are, irresolute at every turn.
a two-souled man [is] unstable in all his ways.
9 Let a follower in humble circumstances be proud of their exalted position,
And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation,
10 but a rich follower of their humiliation; for the rich will pass away like a wild flower.
and the rich in his becoming low, because as a flower of grass he shall 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 the sun did rise with the burning heat, and did wither the grass, and the flower of it fell, and the grace of its appearance did perish, so also the rich in his way shall fade away!
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.
Happy the man who doth endure temptation, because, becoming approved, he shall receive the crown of the life, which the Lord did promise to those loving 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.
Let no one say, being tempted — 'From God I am tempted,' for God is not tempted of evil, and Himself doth tempt no one,
14 A man is in every case tempted by their own passions – allured and enticed by them.
and each one is tempted, by his own desires being led away and enticed,
15 Then passion conceives and gives birth to sin, and sin, on reaching maturity, brings forth death.
afterward the desire having conceived, doth give birth to sin, and the sin having been perfected, doth bring forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my dear friends.
Be not led astray, my brethren beloved;
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 giving, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of turning;
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.
having counselled, He did beget us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit of His creatures.
19 Mark this, my dear friends – Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry;
So then, my brethren beloved, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
20 for human anger does not forward the righteous purpose of God.
for the wrath of a man the righteousness of God doth not work;
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.
wherefore having put aside all filthiness and superabundance of evil, in meekness be receiving the engrafted word, that is able to save your souls;
22 Put that message into practice, and do not merely listen to it – deceiving yourselves.
and become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, 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, this one hath been like to a man viewing his natural face in a mirror,
24 They look at themselves, then go on their way,
for he did view himself, and hath gone away, and immediately he did forget of what kind he was;
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.
and he who did look into the perfect law — that of liberty, and did continue there, this one — not a forgetful hearer becoming, but a doer of work — this one shall be happy in his doing.
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 any one doth think to be religious among you, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, of this one vain [is] the 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.
religion pure and undefiled with the God and Father is this, to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation — unspotted to keep himself from the world.
