James 1
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Salutation
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes in the dispersion:
Greetings.
Faith and Wisdom
2 My brothers and sisters, whenever you face various trials, consider it all joy,(A) 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.(B) 6 But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.(C) 7,8 For the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
Poverty and Riches
9 Let the brother or sister of humble means boast in having a high position 10 and the rich in having been humbled, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field.(D) 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.
Trial and Temptation
12 Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord[a] has promised to those who love him.(E) 13 No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. 14 But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; 15 then, when desire has conceived, it engenders sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death.(F)
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters. 17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.[b](G) 18 In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave birth to us by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.(H)
Hearing and Doing the Word
19 You must understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger,(I) 20 for human anger does not produce God’s righteousness.[c] 21 Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.(J)
22 But be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.(K) 23 For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves[d] in a mirror;(L) 24 for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. 25 But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.(M)
26 If any think they are religious and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.(N) 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.(O)
James 1
Wycliffe Bible
1 James, the servant of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve kindreds, that be in scattering abroad, health.
2 My brethren, deem ye all joy [guess ye all joy], when ye fall into diverse temptations,
3 witting, that the proving of your faith worketh patience;
4 and patience hath a perfect work, that ye be perfect and whole, and fail in nothing. [soothly patience hath a perfect work, that ye be perfect and whole, in nothing failing.]
5 And if any of you needeth wisdom, ask he of God, which giveth to all men largely [that giveth to all men largely], and upbraideth not; and it shall be given to him.
6 But ask he in faith, and doubt nothing [nothing doubting]; for he that doubteth, is like to a wave of the sea, which is moved and borne about of the wind [the which of wind is moved and borne about].
7 Therefore guess not that man, that he shall take any thing of the Lord.
8 A man double in soul is unstable in all his ways.
9 And a meek brother have glory in his enhancing. [Forsooth a meek brother glory in his enhancing.]
10 and a rich man in his lowness; for as the flower of grass he shall pass.
11 The sun rose up with heat, and dried the grass, and the flower of it felled down, and the fairness of his face perished; and so a rich man withereth in his ways.[a]
12 Blessed is the man, that suffereth temptation; for when he shall be proved, he shall receive the crown of life, which God promised to men that love him.
13 No man when he is tempted, say, that he is tempted of God; for why God is not a tempter of evil things, for he tempteth no man.
14 But each man is tempted, drawn and stirred of his own coveting. [Soothly each man is tempted of his own coveting, drawn from reason, and snared, or deceived.]
15 Afterward coveting [Then coveting], when it hath conceived, bringeth forth sin; but sin, when it is filled, engendereth death [soothly sin, when it is fulfilled, gendereth death].
16 Therefore [And so], my most dear-worthy brethren, do not ye err.
17 Each good gift, and each perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is none other changing, nor overshadowing of reward.[b]
18 For willfully he begat us by the word of truth [Forsooth willfully he gendered us with the word of truth], that we be a beginning of his creature.
19 Know ye, my brethren most loved, be each man swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to wrath;
20 for the wrath of man worketh not the rightwiseness of God.
21 For which thing cast ye away all uncleanness, and plenty of malice, and in mildness receive ye the word that is planted[c], that may save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if any man is an hearer of the word, and not a doer, this shall be likened to a man that beholdeth the face of his birth in a mirror [this shall be comparisoned, or likened, to a man beholding the cheer of his birth in a mirror];
24 for he beheld himself, and went away, and at once he forgot which he was. [for he beheld himself, and went away, and anon he forgot what manner man he was.]
25 But he that beholdeth into the law of perfect freedom, and dwelleth in it, and is not made a forgetful hearer, but a doer of work, this shall be blessed in his deed.
26 And if any man guesseth himself to be religious, and refraineth not his tongue, but deceiveth his heart, the religion of him is vain.
27 A clean religion, and unwemmed with God and the Father, is this, to visit fatherless and motherless children, and widows in their tribulation, and to keep himself undefouled from this world [and to keep himself undefouled from the world].
Footnotes
- James 1:11 For the sun rose with burning, or heat, and dried the hay, and the flower of it fell down, and the fairness of his cheer perished; so and a rich man withereth in his ways.
- James 1:17 Each best thing given, and all perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom is not any changing, neither shadowing of whileness, or time.
- James 1:21 and in mildness receive ye the word inset, or joined
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
2001 by Terence P. Noble