James 1
New Catholic Bible
Salutation
Chapter 1
Greeting.[a] 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: greetings.
Exhortation To Practice Patience
Trials—the Test of a Faith in Progress.[b] 2 My brethren, consider it a cause of great joy whenever you endure various trials, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith will develop perseverance. 4 And let perseverance complete its work so that you may become perfect and complete, and not be deficient in any respect.
A Believer’s Prayer.[c] 5 If someone among you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But he is to ask with faith, without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. 7 A man like that should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 since he is of two minds and inconsistent in everything he does.
Rich and Poor.[d] 9 The brother who is in modest circumstances should take pride in being raised up. 10 Likewise, the one who is rich should glory in being brought low, for he will disappear like a flower of the field. 11 Once the sun comes up with its scorching rays and withers the grass, its flower droops and its beauty vanishes. So too the rich man will fade away in the midst of his affairs.
12 Trials and Temptations. Blessed is the man who perseveres when he is tempted, for when he has been proven, he will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.[e]
13 [f]While experiencing temptation, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 Rather, temptation occurs when someone is attracted and seduced by his own desire. 15 Then the desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it reaches full growth, gives birth to death.
16 Light and Life.[g] Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good act of giving and every perfect gift are from above, coming down from the Father of all light. With him there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. 18 By his own choice he gave us birth through the way of truth so that we may be a kind of firstfruits of all his creation.
Exhortation To Practice Faith
19 Living by God’s Word.[h] Remember this, my beloved brethren: everyone should be quick to listen but slow to speak and slow to anger. 20 For human anger does not bring about the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, rid yourselves of everything sordid and of every wicked excess, and welcome in all humility the word that is implanted in you and is able to save your souls.
22 Be doers of the word and not just hearers who only deceive themselves. 23 For anyone who listens to the word and fails to do it is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror. 24 After seeing his reflection, he goes off and immediately forgets what he looked like. 25 However, the one who looks intently at the perfect law of freedom and perseveres—not forgetting what he has heard but putting it into practice—will be blessed in everything he does.
26 If anyone thinks that he is religious but does not restrain his tongue, he is deceiving himself, and his religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and undefiled is this: to come to the aid of orphans and widows in their hardships and to keep oneself untarnished by the world.
Footnotes
- James 1:1 Only this verse gives the writing the form of a letter. Concerning the author and the addressees, see the Introduction. Servant: see note on Rom 1:1. Twelve tribes: they prefigured the new People of God (see Acts 26:7; Rev 7:4).
- James 1:2 The Christian is exposed to the opposition of society. Joy . . . various trials: a teaching based on the words of Jesus (see Mt 5:10-12; Jn 10:11).
- James 1:5 A believer’s prayer requires lucidity and courage to pursue a Christian way of life—that is, wisdom.
- James 1:9 In becoming Christians, the rich lose their privileged position in society and the poor wait to be enriched by God. Both of them must live in the spirit of the poor of the Bible (see Ps 72:4, 12; Mt 5:3; Lk 1:52).
- James 1:12 Those who bear trials patiently will go from distress to sharing the joy and life of the Lord.
- James 1:13 The passage from trials to temptations reveals the depths of a person—and is one more reason to be vigilant.
- James 1:16 Light and life are opposed to sin and death. They are the grace of the new birth through the Gospel and Baptism.
- James 1:19 It costs nothing to place oneself among the distracted listeners and let oneself go to the demon of words for the sake of words. Hearing the Gospel for the sake of putting it into practice obliges one to notice the sufferings of others, to be concerned with truth, to cling to the Christian originality in the face of current mentalities and morals.
James 1
Maori Bible
1 Na Hemi, na te pononga a te Atua, a te Ariki hoki, a Ihu Karaiti, ki nga hapu kotahi tekau ma rua e noho marara ana; Tena koutou.
2 Kiia iho, e oku teina, he mea hari nui ina taka koutou ki nga whakamatautauranga maha;
3 E matau ana hoki koutou, ko te whakamatautauranga o to koutou whakapono hei mahi i te manawanui.
4 Na kia puta rawa te mahi a te manawanui, kia tino tika ai koutou, kia toitu ai, te hapa i tetahi mea.
5 Ki te hapa tetahi o koutou i te matauranga, me inoi ia ki te Atua, e homai nui nei ki te katoa, kahore hoki ana tawai mai; a ka homai ki a ia.
6 Otira me inoi whakapono ia, kaua e ruarua. Ko te tangata ruarua hoki, tona rite kei te ngaru o te moana, e puhia ana e te hau, e akina ana.
7 Kaua hoki taua tangata e mea, e whiwhi ia ki tetahi mea i te Ariki.
8 E kore te tangata ngakau rua e u i ana hanga katoa.
9 Ko te teina iti, kia whakamanamana ia i te mea ka whakanekehia ake ia:
10 Me te tangata taonga ano, i te mea ka whakaititia: ka memeha atu hoki ia, ano he puawai tarutaru.
11 Ko te putanga mai hoki o te ra me te hau wera ano, na, kua maroke te tarutaru, kua ngahoro tona puawai, a ngaro iho te atanga o tona ahua: ka pera ano te tangata taonga, ka memeha atu i ona haereerenga.
12 Ka hari te tangata e u ake ana ki te whakamatautauranga: no te mea hoki ka oti ia te whakamatautau, ka whiwhi ia ki te karauna o te ora, kua whakaaria mai nei e te Ariki mo te hunga e aroha ana ki a ia.
13 Kaua tetahi e mea ina whakamatautauria, E whakamatautauria ana ahau e te Atua: e kore hoki te Atua e taea te whakamatautau e te kino, e kore ano hoki ia e whakamatautau i tetahi:
14 Engari he mea whakamatautau te tangata, i a ia e kumea ana, e poaina ana e tona hiahia ake ano.
15 Na, i te haputanga o te hiahia, ka whanau ko te hara; a, i te otinga o te hara, ka whanau ko te mate.
16 Kei whakapohehetia koutou, e oku teina aroha.
17 No runga nga homaitanga papai katoa, nga mea katoa e tino tika ana, he mea heke iho no te Matua o nga whakamarama, kahore nei ona putanga ketanga, kahore hoki he atarangi o te tahuri.
18 Na tona hiahia ake ano tatou i whanau ai, he meatanga na te kupu o te pono, kia meinga ai tatou me he matamua mo ana mea i hanga ai.
19 Kei te mohio koutou ki tenei, e oku hoa aroha, kia hohoro nga tangata katoa ki te whakarongo, kia puhoi ki te korero, kia puhoi kite riri:
20 E kore hoki ta te Atua tika e mahia e to te tangata riri.
21 Heoi me whakarere katoa atu nga tikanga poke, me te hara e hua tonu nei, me tahuri marire ki te kupu kua oti te whakato iho; e taea hoki e tenei te whakaora o koutou wairua.
22 Hei kaimahi ano koutou i te kupu, kaua hei kaiwhakarongo anake, kei tinihangatia koutou e koutou ano.
23 Ki te mea hoki he kaiwhakarongo tetahi i te kupu, ehara nei i te kaimahi, he rite ia ki te tangata e matakitaki ana ki tona kanohi maori i roto i te whakaata:
24 I tona matakitakinga hoki i a ia ano, haere ana, wareware tonu ake he ahua pehea ranei tona.
25 Tena ko te tangata e ata titiro iho ana ki te ture tino tika, ki te mea herekore, a ka u tonu, he kaiwhakarongo ano ia e kore e wareware, engari e mahi ana i te mahi, e hari ano tenei i tana mahi.
26 Ki te mea he ahua karakia to tetahi i roto i a koutou, ki te kore e parairetia e ia tona arero, he tinihanga hoki tana ki tona ngakau, he maumau karakia tana.
27 Ko te karakia pono, ko te mea pokekore ki te aroaro o te Atua matua, ko ia tenei, Ko te tirotiro i nga pani i nga pouaru i o ratou mate, ko te tiaki i a ia ake kei poke i te ao.
James 1
King James Version
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting 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.
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.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall 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.
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.
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:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, 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.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not 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.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
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:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
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.
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.
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.
