James 1
1 James, of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ a servant, to the Twelve Tribes who are in the dispersion: Hail!
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion: Greetings!
2 All joy count [it], my brethren, when ye may fall into temptations manifold;
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you experience various troubles.
3 knowing that the proof of your faith doth work endurance,
You know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 and let the endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire — in nothing lacking;
Let endurance complete its work, so that you may become fully developed and complete, not lacking anything.
5 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;
But if any of you needs wisdom, let him ask for it from God, the one who gives generously and without rebuke to all who ask, and he will give it to him.
6 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,
But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing. For anyone who doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven by the wind and tossed around.
7 for let not that man suppose that he shall receive anything from the Lord —
For that person must not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.
8 a two-souled man [is] unstable in all his ways.
Such a person is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.
9 And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation,
Let the poor brother boast of his high position,
10 and the rich in his becoming low, because as a flower of grass he shall pass away;
but the rich man of his low position, because he will pass away as a wild flower in the grass.
11 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!
For the sun rises with burning heat and dries up the grass. The flower falls off, and its beauty perishes. In the same way, the rich man will fade away in the middle of his journey.
12 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.
Blessed is the man who endures testing. For after he has passed the test, he will receive the crown of life, which has been promised to those who love God.
13 Let no one say, being tempted — 'From God I am tempted,' for God is not tempted of evil, and Himself doth tempt no one,
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” because God is not tempted by evil, nor does he himself tempt anyone.
14 and each one is tempted, by his own desires being led away and enticed,
But each person is tempted by his own desire, which drags him away and entices him.
15 afterward the desire having conceived, doth give birth to sin, and the sin having been perfected, doth bring forth death.
Then after the desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and after the sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.
16 Be not led astray, my brethren beloved;
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
17 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;
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. It comes down from the Father of lights. With him there is no changing or shadow because of turning.
18 having counselled, He did beget us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit of His creatures.
God chose to give us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all the things that he created.
19 So then, my brethren beloved, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
You know this, my beloved brothers: Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
20 for the wrath of a man the righteousness of God doth not work;
For the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.
21 wherefore having put aside all filthiness and superabundance of evil, in meekness be receiving the engrafted word, that is able to save your souls;
Therefore take off all sinful filth and abundant amounts of evil. In humility receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 and become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,
Be doers of the word and not only hearers, deceiving yourselves.
23 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,
For if anyone is a hearer of the word but not a doer, he is like a man who examines his natural face in a mirror.
24 for he did view himself, and hath gone away, and immediately he did forget of what kind he was;
He examines himself and then goes away and immediately forgets what he was like.
25 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.
But the person who looks carefully into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so, not just being a hearer who forgets, this man will be blessed in his actions.
26 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;
If anyone thinks himself to be religious, but if he does not control his tongue, he deceives his heart, and his religion is worthless.
27 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.
Religion that is pure and unspoiled before our God and Father is to help the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
