James 1
1 James, servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes of the dispersion, greetings.2 My brothers, when you have fallen into various trials, consider everything a joy,3 knowing that the proving of your faith exercises patience,4 and patience brings a work to perfection, so that you may be perfect and whole, deficient in nothing.5 But if anyone among you is in need of wisdom, let him petition God, who gives abundantly to all without reproach, and it shall be given to him.6 But he should ask with faith, doubting nothing. For he who doubts is like a wave on the ocean, which is moved about by the wind and carried away;7 then a man should not consider that he would receive anything from the Lord.8 For a man who is of two minds is inconstant in all his ways.9 Now a humble brother should glory in his exaltation,10 and a rich one, in his humiliation, for he will pass away like the flower of the grass.11 For the sun has risen with a scorching heat, and has dried the grass, and its flower has fallen off, and the appearance of its beauty has perished. So also will the rich one wither away, according to his paths.12 Blessed is the man who suffers temptation. For when he has been proven, he shall receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.13 No one should say, when he is tempted, that he was tempted by God. For God does not entice toward evils, and he himself tempts no one.14 Yet truly, each one is tempted by his own desires, having been enticed and drawn away.15 Thereafter, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. Yet truly sin, when it has been consummated, produces death.16 And so, do not choose to go astray, my most beloved brothers.17 Every excellent gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor any shadow of alteration.18 For by his own will he produced us through the Word of truth, so that we might be a kind of beginning among his creatures.19 You know this, my most beloved brothers. So let every man be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to anger.20 For the anger of man does not accomplish the justice of God.21 Because of this, having cast away all uncleanness and an abundance of malice, receive with meekness the newly-grafted Word, which is able to save your souls.22 So be doers of the Word, and not listeners only, deceiving yourselves.23 For if anyone is a listener of the Word, but not also a doer, he is comparable to a man gazing into a mirror upon the face that he was born with;24 and after considering himself, he went away and promptly forgot what he had seen.25 But he who gazes upon the perfect law of liberty, and who remains in it, is not a forgetful hearer, but instead a doer of the work. He shall be blessed in what he does.26 But if anyone considers himself to be religious, but he does not restrain his tongue, but instead seduces his own heart: such a ones religion is vanity.27 This is religion, clean and undefiled before God the Father: to visit orphans and widows in their tribulations, and to keep yourself immaculate, apart from this age.
James 1
Salutation
1 From James,t a slavets of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad.t Greetings!
Joy in Trials
2 My brothers and sisters,t consider it nothing but joyt when you fall into all sorts of trials,3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.4 And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.5 But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him.6 But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind.7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 since he is a double-minded individual,ts unstable in all his ways.
9 Now the believert of humble meanst should take pridet in his high position.t10 But the rich person’s pride should be in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a wildflower in the meadow.t11 For the sun rises with its heat and dries up the meadow; the petal of the flower falls off and its beauty is lost forever.t So also the rich person in the midst of his pursuits will wither away.12 Happy is the onet who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that Gods promised to those who love him.13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil,t and he himself tempts no one.14 But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires.15 Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.16 Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters.t17 All generous giving and every perfect giftt is from above, coming downt from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change.t
18 By his sovereign plan he gave us birtht through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Living Out the Message
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters!t Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.20 For humant anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.s21 So put away all filth and evil excess and humblyt welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls.22 But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves.23 For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someonet who gazes at his own facet in a mirror.24 For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgetst what sort of person he was.25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there,t and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out – het will be blessed in what he does.t26 If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile.
27 Pure and undefiled religion beforet God the Fathert is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.