James 1
1 James, a Servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, greets the Twelve Tribes that are living abroad.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: Greetings.
2 My Brothers, whatever may be the temptations that beset you from time to time, always regard them as a reason for rejoicing,
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
3 knowing, as you do, that the testing of your faith develops endurance.
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
4 And let endurance do its work perfectly, so that you may be altogether perfect, and in no respect deficient.
Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5 If one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask wisdom from the God who gives freely to every one without reproaches, and it will be given to him.
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask with confidence, never doubting; for the man who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven hither and thither at the mercy of the wind —
But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7 Such a man must not expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 vacillating as he is, irresolute at every turn.
He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let a Brother in humble circumstances be proud of his exalted position, but a rich Brother of his humiliation;
The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.
10 for the rich man will pass away ‘like the flower of the grass.’
But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.
11 As the sun rises, and the hot wind blows, ‘the grass withers, its flower fades,’ and all its beauty is gone. So is it with the rich man. In the midst of his pursuits he will come to an untimely end.
For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
12 Blessed is the man who remains firm under 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.
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
13 Let no one say, when he is tempted, “It is God who is tempting me!” For God, who cannot be tempted to do wrong, does not himself tempt any one.
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.
14 A man is in every case tempted by his own passions — allured and enticed by them.
But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.
15 Then Passion conceives and gives birth to Sin, and Sin, on reaching maturity, brings forth Death.
Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16 Do not be deceived, my dear Brothers.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
17 Every good thing given us, and every perfect gift, is from above, and comes down to us from the Maker of the Lights in the heavens, who is himself never subject to change or to eclipse.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
18 Because he so willed, he gave us Life, through the Message of the Truth, so that we should be, as it were, an earnest of still further creations.
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.
19 Mark this, my dear Brothers — Let every one be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry;
My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
20 for the anger of man does not forward the righteous purpose of God.
for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.
21 Therefore, have done with 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.
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.
22 Put that Message into practice, and do not merely listen to it — deceiving yourselves.
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
23 For, when any one listens to it and does not practice it, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror.
For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror,
24 He looks at himself, then goes on his way,
and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 but he 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 man will be blessed in what he does.
But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.
26 When a man appears to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue, but imposes upon his own conscience, that man’s religious observances are valueless.
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
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.
Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
