1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are of the Dispersion, greeting.
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations;
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 Knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience.
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
4 And let patience have (its) perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.
4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5 But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
5 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 in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord;
7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways.
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
9 But let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate:
9 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.
10 and the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
10 But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.
11 For the sun ariseth with the scorching wind, and withereth the grass: and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his goings.
11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which (the Lord) promised to them that love him.
12 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 man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man:
13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
14 but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
15 Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death.
15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16 Be not deceived, my beloved brethren.
16 Dont be deceived, my dear brothers.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
19 Ye know (this), my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
20 for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
20 for mans anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
21 Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
23 For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror:
23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror
24 for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 But he that looketh into the perfect law, the (law) of liberty, and (so) continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.
25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.
26 If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this mans religion is vain.
26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, (and) to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.