1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials,
3 Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
4 But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will 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.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
7 For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.
8 A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways.
8 (included in verse 7)
9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,
10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass he will pass away.
11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it 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 ways.
11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
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.
12 Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which 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, neither tempteth he any man:
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one;
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
14 but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
16 Do not be 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.
17 Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
19 Know this, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
20 for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rank growth of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
23 For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who observes his natural face in a mirror;
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
24 for he observes himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer that forgets but a doer that acts, he shall be blessed in his doing.
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion [is] vain.
26 If any one thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this mans 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.
27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.