James 1
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are scattered abroad: Greetings.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you experience various trials,
My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations;
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.
4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him.
6 But he must ask in faith without doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed about.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.
A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
9 The lowly brother should rejoice in being exalted,
Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10 and the rich man should rejoice in being made low, because he will pass away like a flower of grass.
But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass, and its flower falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in his pursuits.
For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it wither the grass, and the flower thereof falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him.
Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him.
13 No one should say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God is not tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man:
14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires.
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 And when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. And when sin is fully grown, it brings forth death.
Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Do not err, my beloved brothers.
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no ficklenss, neither shadow of turning.
18 Of his own will he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Of his own will fathered he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
19 So then, my beloved brothers, everyone should be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
Why, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
For the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God.
21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and rampant wickedness, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Why lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
But be you doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror.
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like to a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he looks at himself and goes away, and then immediately forgets what he looks like.
For he beholds himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts. He will be blessed in what he does.
But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26 If anyone among you considers himself to be religious but does not bridle his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
27 Pure and undefiled religion before God our Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
