Joseph and Potiphar's Wife

39 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and (A)Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, (B)had bought him from the (C)Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. (D)The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord (E)caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. So Joseph (F)found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house (G)and put him in charge of all that he had. From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house (H)for Joseph's sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. So he left all that he had in Joseph's charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate.

Now Joseph was (I)handsome in form and appearance. And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master's wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and (J)he has put everything that he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and (K)sin against God?” 10 And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he (L)would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.

11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, 12 (M)she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. 13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” 16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. 18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.”

19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph's master took him and (N)put him into the (O)prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. 21 But (P)the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love (Q)and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison (R)put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge, because (S)the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.

Job's Confession and Repentance

42 Then Job answered the Lord and said:

“I know that you can (A)do all things,
    and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
(B)‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
    things (C)too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
‘Hear, and I will speak;
    (D)I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
    but now my eye sees you;
therefore I despise myself,
    and repent[a] in (E)dust and ashes.”

The Lord Rebukes Job's Friends

After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz (F)the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore take (G)seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and (H)offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall (I)pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” (J)So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job's prayer.

The Lord Restores Job's Fortunes

10 And the Lord (K)restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job (L)twice as much as he had before. 11 Then came to him all his (M)brothers and sisters and all who had (N)known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they (O)showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil[b] that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him (P)a piece of money[c] and (Q)a ring of gold.

12 And the Lord blessed (R)the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had (S)14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had also (T)seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15 And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance (U)among their brothers. 16 And after this Job lived 140 years, and (V)saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man, and (W)full of days.

Footnotes

  1. Job 42:6 Or and am comforted
  2. Job 42:11 Or disaster
  3. Job 42:11 Hebrew a qesitah; a unit of money of unknown value

Greeting

(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

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

(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. 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. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; (P)he is a double-minded man, (Q)unstable in all his ways.

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. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire (X)when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and (Y)sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 (Z)Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from (AA)the Father of lights, (AB)with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.[d] 18 (AC)Of his own will he (AD)brought us forth by the word of truth, (AE)that we should be a kind of (AF)firstfruits of his creatures.

Hearing and Doing the Word

19 (AG)Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person (AH)be quick to hear, (AI)slow to speak, (AJ)slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore (AK)put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with (AL)meekness the implanted word, (AM)which is able to save your souls.

22 But be (AN)doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, (AO)the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, (AP)he will be blessed in his doing.

26 If anyone thinks he is religious (AQ)and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's (AR)religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: (AS)to visit (AT)orphans and widows in their affliction, and (AU)to keep oneself (AV)unstained from the world.

Footnotes

  1. James 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
  2. James 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 16, 19
  3. James 1:10 Or a wild flower
  4. James 1:17 Some manuscripts variation due to a shadow of turning

The Sin of Partiality

My brothers,[a] (A)show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, (B)the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” (C)while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become (D)judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, (E)has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be (F)rich in faith and heirs of (G)the kingdom, (H)which he has promised to those who love him? But you (I)have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who (J)drag you (K)into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable (L)name by which you were called?

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, (M)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you (N)show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point (O)has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, (P)“Do not commit adultery,” also said, (Q)“Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under (R)the law of liberty. 13 For (S)judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith Without Works Is Dead

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith (T)but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 (U)If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 (V)and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[b] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith (W)apart from your works, and I will show you my faith (X)by my works. 19 (Y)You believe that God is one; you do well. Even (Z)the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 (AA)Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that (AB)faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed (AC)by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, (AD)“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a (AE)friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also (AF)Rahab the prostitute justified by works (AG)when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Footnotes

  1. James 2:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 14
  2. James 2:16 Or benefit

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