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James 1:2-18
New Living Translation
James 1:2-18
New Living Translation
Faith and Endurance
2 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
9 Believers who are[b] poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. 11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong,[c] and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.[d] He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.[e] 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.[f]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1:2 Greek brothers; also in 1:16, 19.
- 1:9 Greek The brother who is.
- 1:13 Or God should not be put to a test by evil people.
- 1:17a Greek from above, from the Father of lights.
- 1:17b Some manuscripts read He never changes, as a shifting shadow does.
- 1:18 Greek we became a kind of firstfruit of his creatures.
James 1:2-18
Christian Standard Bible
James 1:2-18
Christian Standard Bible
Trials and Maturity
2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials,(A) 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.(B) 6 But let him ask in faith without doubting.[a] For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, 8 being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.[b](C)
9 Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation, 10 but let the rich boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field.(D) 11 For the sun rises and, together with the scorching wind, dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance perishes. In the same way, the rich person will wither away while pursuing his activities.(E)
12 Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown(F) of life that God[c] has promised to those who love him.(G)
13 No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone. 14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire.(H) 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.(I)
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.(J) 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.(K) 18 By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.(L)
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James 1:2-18
New International Version
James 1:2-18
New International Version
Trials and Temptations
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds,(A) 3 because you know that the testing of your faith(B) produces perseverance.(C) 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature(D) and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,(E) who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.(F) 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt,(G) because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded(H) and unstable(I) in all they do.
9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.(J) 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.(K) 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat(L) and withers(M) the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed.(N) In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial(O) because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life(P) that the Lord has promised to those who love him.(Q)
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own(R) evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;(S) and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.(T)
16 Don’t be deceived,(U) my dear brothers and sisters.(V) 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above,(W) coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,(X) who does not change(Y) like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth(Z) through the word of truth,(AA) that we might be a kind of firstfruits(AB) of all he created.
Footnotes
- James 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verses 16 and 19; and in 2:1, 5, 14; 3:10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19.
James 1:2-18
English Standard Version
James 1:2-18
English Standard Version
Testing of Your Faith
2 (A)Count it all joy, my brothers,[a] when you meet trials (B)of various kinds, 3 for you know that (C)the testing of your faith (D)produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be (E)perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 (F)If any of you lacks wisdom, (G)let him ask God, (H)who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But (I)let him ask in faith, (J)with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like (K)a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 (L)he is a double-minded man, (M)unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and (N)the rich in his humiliation, because (O)like a flower of the grass[b] he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and (P)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 (Q)Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive (R)the crown of life, (S)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 (T)when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and (U)sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 (V)Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from (W)the Father of lights, (X)with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.[c] 18 (Y)Of his own will he (Z)brought us forth by the word of truth, (AA)that we should be a kind of (AB)firstfruits of his creatures.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 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
- James 1:10 Or a wild flower
- James 1:17 Some manuscripts variation due to a shadow of turning
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.