James 1:1-18

New International Reader's Version

1 I, James, am writing this letter. I serve God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am sending this letter to you, the 12 tribes scattered among the nations.

Greetings.

Facing All Kinds of Trouble

² My brothers and sisters, you will face all kinds of trouble. When you do, think of it as pure joy. ³ Your faith will be tested. You know that when this happens it will produce in you the strength to continue. ⁴ And you must allow this strength to finish its work. Then you will be all you should be. You will have everything you need. ⁵ If any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He will give it to you. God gives freely to everyone and doesn’t find fault. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe. You must not doubt. That’s because a person who doubts is like a wave of the sea. The wind blows and tosses them around. ⁷ They shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ This kind of person can’t make up their mind. They can never decide what to do.

⁹ Here’s what believers who are in low positions in life should be proud of. They should be proud that God has given them a high position in the kingdom. ¹⁰ But rich people should take pride in their low positions. That’s because they will fade away like wild flowers. ¹¹ The sun rises. Its burning heat dries up the plants. Their blossoms fall. Their beauty is destroyed. In the same way, rich people will fade away. They fade away even as they go about their business.

¹² Blessed is the person who keeps on going when times are hard. After they have come through hard times, this person will receive a crown. The crown is life itself. The Lord has promised it to those who love him.

¹³ When a person is tempted, they shouldn’t say, “God is tempting me.” God can’t be tempted by evil. And he doesn’t tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But each person is tempted by their own evil desires. These desires lead them on and drag them away. ¹⁵ When these desires are allowed to remain, they lead to sin. And when sin is allowed to remain and grow, it leads to death.

¹⁶ My dear brothers and sisters, don’t let anyone fool you. ¹⁷ Every good and perfect gift is from God. This kind of gift comes down from the Father who created the heavenly lights. These lights create shadows that move. But the Father does not change like these shadows. ¹⁸ God chose to give us new birth through the message of truth. He wanted us to be the first harvest of his new creation.