James, 1

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, sends greetings to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.

2. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

2. Consider yourselves fortunate, my brothers and sisters, when you meet with every kind of trial,

3. Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

3. for you know that the testing of your faith makes you steadfast.

4. But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

4. Let your steadfastness become perfect with deeds, that you yourselves may be perfect and blameless, without any defect.

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 is lacking in wisdom, ask God who gives to all easily and unconditionally.

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 ask with faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave driven and tossed on the sea by the wind.

7. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

7. Such a person should not expect anything from the Lord, since the doubter has two minds

8. A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways.

8. and his conduct will always be insecure.

9. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

9. Let the believer who is poor boast in been uplifted,

10. But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

10. and let the rich one boast in being humbled, because he will pass away like the flower of the field.

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. The sun rises and its heat dries the grass; the flower withers and its beauty vanishes. So, too, will the rich person fade away even 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. Happy are those who patiently endure trials, because afterwards they will receive the crown of life which the Lord 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. No one, when tempted, should say, "This temptation comes from God." God is never tempted and he can never tempt anyone.

14. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

14. Instead, each of us is lured and enticed by our own evil desire.

15. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

15. Once this desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when fully grown, gives birth to death.

16. Do not err, my beloved brethren.

16. Do not be deceived, my beloved.

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 and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of Light, in whom there is no change or shadow of a 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. By his own will he gave us life through the Word of Truth, that we might be a kind of offering to him among his creatures.

19. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

19. My beloved, be quick to hear but slow to speak and slow to anger,

20. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

20. for human anger does not fulfill the justice 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. So get rid of any filth and reject the prevailing evil, and welcome the Word which has been planted in you and has the power to save you.

22. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

22. Be doers of the Word and not just hearers, lest you deceive 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. The hearer who does not become a doer is like that one who looked himself at the mirror.

24. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

24. He looked and then promptly forgot 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 those who fix their gaze on the perfect law of freedom and hold onto it, not listening and then forgetting, but acting on it, will find blessing on their deeds.

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. Those who think they are religious but do not restrain their tongue, deceive themselves and their religion is in 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. In the sight of God, our Father, pure and blameless religion lies in helping the orphans and widows in their need and keeping oneself from the world's corruption.