James 1
American Standard Version
1 [a]James, a [b]servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are of the Dispersion, [c]greeting.
2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold [d]temptations; 3 knowing that the proving of your faith worketh [e]patience. 4 And let [f]patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think [g]that he shall receive anything of the Lord; 8 a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 But let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate: 10 and the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. 11 For the sun ariseth with the scorching wind, and 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 goings.
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to them that love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted [h]of God; for God [i]cannot be tempted with [j]evil, and he himself tempteth no man: 14 but each man is [k]tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death. 16 Be not deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good [l]gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.
19 [m]Ye know this, my beloved brethren. But 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 putting away all filthiness and overflowing of [n]wickedness, receive with meekness the [o]implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves. 23 For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding [p]his natural face in a mirror: 24 for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing. 26 If any man [q]thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this man’s religion is vain. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Footnotes
- James 1:1 Or, Jacob
- James 1:1 Greek bondservant.
- James 1:1 Greek wisheth joy.
- James 1:2 Or, trials
- James 1:3 Or, stedfastness
- James 1:4 Or, stedfastness
- James 1:7 Or, that a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways, shall receive anything of the Lord
- James 1:13 Greek from.
- James 1:13 Or, is untried in evil
- James 1:13 Greek evil things.
- James 1:14 Or, tempted by his own lust, being drawn away by it, and enticed.
- James 1:17 Or, giving
- James 1:19 Or, Know ye
- James 1:21 Or, malice
- James 1:21 Or, inborn
- James 1:23 Greek the face of his birth.
- James 1:26 Or, seemeth to be
James 1
New American Standard Bible 1995
Testing Your Faith
1 [a](A)James, a (B)bond-servant of God and (C)of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To (D)the twelve tribes who are [b](E)dispersed abroad: (F)Greetings.
2 (G)Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter (H)various [c]trials, 3 knowing that (I)the testing of your (J)faith produces [d](K)endurance. 4 And let [e](L)endurance have its perfect [f]result, so that you may be [g](M)perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you (N)lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and [h]without reproach, and (O)it will be given to him. 6 But he must (P)ask in faith (Q)without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, (R)driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a [i](S)double-minded man, (T)unstable in all his ways.
9 (U)But the [j]brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because (V)like [k]flowering grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with [l](W)a scorching wind and (X)withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.
12 (Y)Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has [m]been approved, he will receive (Z)the crown of life which the Lord (AA)has promised to those who (AB)love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “(AC)I am being tempted [n]by God”; for God cannot be tempted [o]by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then (AD)when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when (AE)sin [p]is accomplished, it brings forth death. 16 (AF)Do not be [q]deceived, (AG)my beloved brethren. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is (AH)from above, coming down from (AI)the Father of lights, (AJ)with whom there is no variation or [r]shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of (AK)His will He (AL)brought us forth by (AM)the word of truth, so that we would be [s]a kind of (AN)first fruits [t]among His creatures.
19 [u]This (AO)you know, (AP)my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, (AQ)slow to speak and (AR)slow to anger; 20 for (AS)the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, (AT)putting aside all filthiness and all [v]that remains of wickedness, in [w]humility receive (AU)the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 (AV)But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his [x]natural face (AW)in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, [y]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, (AX)the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but [z]an effectual doer, this man will be (AY)blessed in [aa]what he does.
26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not [ab](AZ)bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion (BA)in the sight of our God and Father is this: to (BB)visit (BC)orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained [ac]by (BD)the world.
Footnotes
- James 1:1 Or Jacob
- James 1:1 Lit in the Dispersion
- James 1:2 Or temptations
- James 1:3 Or steadfastness
- James 1:4 V 3, note 1
- James 1:4 Lit work
- James 1:4 Or mature
- James 1:5 Lit does not reproach
- James 1:8 Or doubting, hesitating
- James 1:9 I.e. church member
- James 1:10 Lit the flower of the grass
- James 1:11 Lit the
- James 1:12 Or passed the test
- James 1:13 Lit from
- James 1:13 Lit of evil things
- James 1:15 Lit is brought to completion
- James 1:16 Or misled
- James 1:17 Lit shadow of turning
- James 1:18 Or a certain first fruits
- James 1:18 Lit of
- James 1:19 Or Know this
- James 1:21 Lit abundance of malice
- James 1:21 Or gentleness
- James 1:23 Lit the face of his birth; or nature
- James 1:24 Lit and he
- James 1:25 Lit a doer of a work
- James 1:25 Lit his doing
- James 1:26 Or control
- James 1:27 Lit from
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New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
