< 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 servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are dispersed, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into various trials;
3 Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
knowing that the proof of your faith produceth patience.
4 But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
But let patience have its work perfected, that ye may be perfect and complete, deficient in nothing.
5 If any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given to him.
But if any man of you be deficient in wisdom, let him ask it of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
But let him ask in faith, harbouring no doubt: for he who is doubtful is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind, and in constant agitation.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing from the Lord.
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing from the Lord.
8 A man unsettled in his opinions [is] unstable in all his ways.
A double-minded man is unsteady in all his ways.
9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
Let the brother low in station rejoice in his elevation:
10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
but the rich, in his abasement: for as the flower of grass he shall pass away.
11 For the sun hath no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and its flower falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
For the sun arose with fervour, and burnt up the grass, and the flower of it fell off, and the beauty of its appearance was lost: just so the rich man in his course of life shall wither away.
12 Blessed [is] the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Blessed is the man who patiently supports temptation: for when he is proved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to those who love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Let no man under temptation say, I am tempted of God: for God is incapable of temptation from evils, and he tempteth no man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
but every person is tempted, when by his own peculiar passion he is born away, and ensnared.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Then passion impregnated, bringeth forth sin, and sin reaching its consummation, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Be not deceived, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, descending from the father of illuminations, with whom there is no variableness, nor shadow of change.
18 Of his own will he hath begotten us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.
Of his own choice he produced us by the word of truth, that we might be a sort of first fruit of his creatures.―
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Wherefore laying aside all vicious pollution, and the abundance of iniquity, receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which hath power to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves by false reasoning.
23 For if any is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
For if any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man that looks at his natural face in a glass;
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and immediately forgetteth what manner of man he was.
for he beheld himself, and went away, and immediately forgot what sort of person he was.
25 But he who looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [in it], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
But he that looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and perseveres, this man not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, he shall be blessed in his practice.
26 If any man among you seemeth to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion [is] vain.
If any man thinks he is a religious character among you, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
27 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.
Pure religion and undefiled with God even the Father is this, To pay diligent attention to the orphans and widows in their affliction, and to preserve himself spotless from the world.