Greeting

James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion. Greetings!

Trials, Testing, and Faith

Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you encounter various trials, because you[a] know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask for it from God, who gives to all without reservation and not reproaching, and it will be given to him. But let him ask for it in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed about. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Now let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his high position, 10 but the rich person in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a flower of the grass. 11 For the sun rises with its burning heat and dries up the grass, and its flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance is lost. So also the rich person in his pursuits[b] will wither away.

12 Blessed is the person[c] who endures testing, because when he[d] is approved he will receive the crown of life that he[e] has promised to those who love him. 13 No one who is being tempted should say, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted[f] by evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each one is tempted when he[g] is dragged away and enticed by his own desires. 15 Then desire, after it[h] has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it[i] is brought to completion, gives birth to death.

16 Do not be deceived, my dear brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of change. 18 By his[j] will he gave birth to us through the message of truth, so that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

Doers of the Message, Not Just Hearers

19 Understand this, my dear brothers: every person must be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, 20 for human[k] anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, putting aside all moral uncleanness and wicked excess, welcome[l] with humility the implanted message which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the message and not hearers only,[m] deceiving yourselves, 23 because if anyone is a hearer of the message and not a doer, this one is like someone[n] staring at his own face[o] in a mirror, 24 for he looks at himself and goes away and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues to do it, not being a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts, this one will be blessed in what he does[p].

26 If anyone thinks he is religious, although he[q] does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our[r] God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Footnotes

  1. James 1:3 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal
  2. James 1:11 Or “on his (business) journeys”; or “in his ways”
  3. James 1:12 Literally “the man,” but clearly in a generic sense here meaning “someone, a person”
  4. James 1:12 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is”) which is understood as temporal
  5. James 1:12 Most manuscripts read “the Lord” here, while others read “God”
  6. James 1:13 Literally “is without temptation”
  7. James 1:14 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is dragged away”) which is understood as temporal
  8. James 1:15 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“has conceived”) which is understood as temporal
  9. James 1:15 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is brought to completion”) which is understood as temporal
  10. James 1:18 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“will”) which is understood as means
  11. James 1:20 Literally “man’s”
  12. James 1:21 Or “receive”
  13. James 1:22 Some manuscripts have “not only hearers”
  14. James 1:23 Literally “a man,” but clearly in a generic sense here meaning “someone, a person”
  15. James 1:23 Literally “the face of his existence”
  16. James 1:25 Literally “in his doing”
  17. James 1:26 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“bridle”) which is understood as concessive
  18. James 1:27 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun

James Iakōbos, a servant of God theos and kai of the Lord kyrios Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos, to the ho twelve dōdeka tribes phylē · ho in en the ho dispersion diaspora: Greetings chairō.

Consider hēgeomai it sheer pas joy chara, my egō brothers adelphos, when hotan you encounter peripiptō various kinds of poikilos trials peirasmos, because you know ginōskō that hoti the ho testing dokimion of ho your hymeis faith pistis produces katergazomai endurance hypomonē. · ho And de let echō endurance hypomonē carry out echō its intended ergon purpose teleios, so that hina you may be eimi mature teleios and kai complete holoklēros, lacking leipō in en nothing mēdeis. But de if ei any tis of you hymeis lacks leipō wisdom sophia, he should ask aiteō God theos, who ho gives didōmi to everyone pas generously haplōs, · kai not demanding oneidizō something in return , and kai it will be given didōmi to him autos. But de he must ask aiteō in en faith pistis without mēdeis doubting diakrinō, for gar the ho doubter diakrinō is like eoika a wave klydōn of the sea thalassa, driven by the wind anemizō and kai tossed about rhipizō. For gar that ekeinos person anthrōpos must not imagine oiomai · ho that hoti he will receive lambanō anything tis from para the ho Lord kyrios; he is a double-minded dipsychos man anēr, unstable akatastatos in en all pas · ho his autos ways hodos.

Let the ho brother adelphos of limited means tapeinos take pride kauchaomai · de · ho in en · ho his autos high position hypsos, 10 and de the ho wealthy plousios brother in en · ho his autos humiliation tapeinōsis, because hoti like hōs a flower anthos in the meadow chortos he will pass away parerchomai. 11 For gar the ho sun hēlios rises anatellō with syn its ho scorching heat kausōn and kai withers xērainō the ho meadow chortos; · kai · ho its autos flower anthos falls ekpiptō and kai · ho its autos beauty euprepeia ho · ho fades apollymi. In the same way houtōs · kai the ho rich man plousios will fade away marainō while en pursuing ho his autos business poreia. 12 Blessed makarios is the man anēr who hos remains steadfast hypomenō when tested peirasmos, because hoti once he is shown to be ginomai genuine dokimos, he will receive lambanō the ho crown stephanos of ho life zōē that hos the Lord has promised epangellomai to those ho who love agapaō him autos. 13 No one mēdeis when tempted peirazō should say legō, “ I am being tempted peirazō by apo God theos”; · ho for gar God theos cannot be tempted apeirastos to do eimi evil kakos, and de he himself autos tempts peirazō no one oudeis else. 14 But de each person hekastos is tempted peirazō when by hypo · ho his own idios desire epithumia he is lured away exelkō and kai enticed deleazō. 15 Then eita · ho desire epithumia, when it has conceived syllambanō, gives birth to tiktō sin hamartia; · ho and de sin hamartia, when it is full-grown apoteleō, brings forth apokyeō death thanatos. 16 Do not be deceived planaō, my egō dear agapētos brothers adelphos. 17 Every pas good agathos gift dosis and kai every pas perfect teleios gift dōrēma is eimi from above anōthen, coming down katabainō from apo the ho Father patēr of ho lights phōs, with para whom hos there is no ou variation parallagē or ē shadow aposkiasma caused by change tropē. 18 According to his sovereign plan boulomai, he brought apokyeō us hēmeis into being through his word logos of truth alētheia, so that eis we hēmeis would be eimi a kind tis of first fruits aparchē of ho all he autos created ktisma.

19 Understand oida this, my egō dear agapētos brothers adelphos: everyone pas must be eimi · de quick tachus to eis listen akouō, slow bradys to eis speak laleō, and slow bradys to eis become angry orgē. 20 For gar the anger orgē of man anēr does ergazomai not ou bring about ergazomai the righteousness dikaiosynē that God requires theos. 21 Therefore dio put aside apotithēmi all pas filthiness rhyparia and kai rampant perisseia wickedness kakia, and receive dechomai with en meekness prautēs the ho implanted emphytos word logos, which ho is able dynamai to save sōzō · ho your hymeis souls psychē. 22 But de be ginomai doers poiētēs of the word logos and kai not merely monon hearers akroatēs, deceiving paralogizomai yourselves heautou. 23 For hoti if ei someone tis is eimi a hearer akroatēs of the word logos and kai not ou a doer poiētēs, he houtos is like eoika a person anēr who looks at katanoeō · ho his autos natural genesis face prosōpon · ho in en a mirror esoptron; 24 then gar after looking at katanoeō himself heautou · kai he goes away aperchomai and kai immediately eutheōs forgets epilanthanomai what he was eimi like hopoios. 25 But de the ho person who looks intently parakyptō into eis the perfect teleios law nomos, the ho law that ho provides liberty eleutheria, and kai continues paramenō in it, not ou having become ginomai a forgetful epilēsmonē hearer akroatēs but alla an active poiētēs doer ergon he houtos will be eimi blessed makarios in en · ho his autos doing poiēsis. 26 If ei someone tis thinks dokeō that he is eimi religious, yet does not bridle chalinagōgeō his autos tongue glōssa but alla deceives apataō his autos heart kardia, this person’ s houtos religion thrēskeia is worthless mataios. · ho 27 Religion thrēskeia that is pure katharos and kai undefiled amiantos before para · ho God theos · kai the Father patēr is eimi this houtos: to care for episkeptomai orphans orphanos and kai widows chēra in en · ho their autos time of trouble thlipsis, and to keep tēreō oneself heautou unstained aspilos by apo the ho world kosmos.