Greeting

1 ^(A)James, a servant^[a] of God and ^(B)of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To ^(C)the twelve tribes in ^(D)the Dispersion:

Greetings.

Testing of Your Faith

^2 (E)Count it all joy, my brothers,^[b] when you meet trials ^(F)of various kinds, ³ for you know that ^(G)the testing of your faith ^(H)produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be ^(I)perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

^5 (J)If any of you lacks wisdom, ^(K)let him ask God, ^(L)who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶ But ^(M)let him ask in faith, ^(N)with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like ^(O)a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ^8 (P)he is a double-minded man, ^(Q)unstable in all his ways.

⁹ Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, ¹⁰ and ^(R)the rich in his humiliation, because ^(S)like a flower of the grass^[c] he will pass away. ¹¹ For the sun rises with its scorching heat and ^(T)withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

^12 (U)Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive ^(V)the crown of life, ^(W)which God has promised to those who love him.

^18 (A)Of his own will he ^(B)brought us forth by the word of truth, ^(C)that we should be a kind of ^(D)firstfruits of his creatures.

¹⁰ As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take ^(A)the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of ^(B)the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen ^(C)the purpose of the Lord, how ^(D)the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

¹⁷ Elijah was a man ^(A)with a nature like ours, and ^(B)he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for ^(C)three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ^18 (D)Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

Lights in the World

¹² Therefore, my beloved, ^(A)as you have always ^(B)obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for ^(C)it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for ^(D)his good pleasure.

⁶ And I am sure of this, that he who began ^(A)a good work in you ^(B)will bring it to completion at ^(C)the day of Jesus Christ.

⁶ For ^(A)while we were still weak, at the right time ^(B)Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— ⁸ but ^(C)God shows his love for us in that ^(D)while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.