James 1

Greeting

1James, ^aa slave of God ^band of the Lord Jesus Christ:

To the 12 tribes ^cin the Dispersion. ^de

Greetings. ^f

Trials and Maturity

²Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, ^g3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

⁵Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. ^h6But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸An indecisive ⁱman is unstable in all his ways. ^j

⁹The brother of humble circumstances should boast in his exaltation, ¹⁰but the one who is rich should boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field. ^k11For the sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will wither away while pursuing his activities. ^l

¹²A man who endures trials ^mis blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown ⁿof life that God ^ohas promised to those who love Him. ^p

¹³No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God is not tempted by evil, ^qand He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone. ¹⁴But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. ^r15Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death. ^s

¹⁶Don’t be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. ^t17Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. ^u18By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth ^vso that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures. ^w

Hearing and Doing the Word

¹⁹My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, ^x20for man’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. ²¹Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and evil, ^yhumbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save you. ^za

²²But ^bbe doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face ^cin a mirror. ²⁴For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works—this person will be blessed in what he does. ^d

²⁶If anyone ^ethinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, ^fthen his religion is useless and he deceives himself. ²⁷Pure and undefiled religion before our ^gGod and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows ^hin their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world. ⁱ