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 which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 All joy count [it], my brethren, when ye may fall into temptations manifold;
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.
3 knowing that the proof of your faith doth work endurance,
Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 and let the endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire — in nothing lacking;
But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
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;
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.
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, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 for let not that man suppose that he shall receive anything from the Lord —
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing from the Lord.
8 a two-souled man [is] unstable in all his ways.
A man unsettled in his opinions [is] unstable in all his ways.
9 And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation,
Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10 and the rich in his becoming low, because as a flower of grass he shall pass away;
But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
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 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.
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 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.
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 man say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 and each one is tempted, by his own desires being led away and enticed,
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
15 afterward the desire having conceived, doth give birth to sin, and the sin having been perfected, doth bring forth death.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Be not led astray, my brethren beloved;
Do not err, my beloved brethren.
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, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
18 having counselled, He did beget us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit of His creatures.
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.
19 So then, my brethren beloved, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 for the wrath of a man the righteousness of God doth not work;
For the wrath of man worketh not 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;
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 and become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
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 any is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 for he did view himself, and hath gone away, and immediately he did forget of what kind he was;
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and immediately forgetteth what manner of man he was.
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 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.
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 any man among you seemeth to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion [is] vain.
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.
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.
