James 1

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

1 James the servant of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

²My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers temptations;

³Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

⁴And patience hath a perfect work; that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing.

⁵But if any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men abundantly, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

⁶But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, which is moved and carried about by the wind.

⁷Therefore let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

⁸A double minded man is inconstant in all his ways.

⁹But let the brother of low condition glory in his exaltation:

¹⁰And the rich, in his being low; because as the flower of the grass shall he pass away.

¹¹For the sun rose with a burning heat, and parched the grass, and the flower thereof fell off, and the beauty of the shape thereof perished: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

¹²Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been proved, he shall receive a crown of life, which God hath promised to them that love him.

¹³Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. For God is not a tempter of evils, and he tempteth no man.

¹⁴But every man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured.

¹⁵Then when concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin. But sin, when it is completed, begetteth death.

¹⁶Do not err, therefore, my dearest brethren.

¹⁷Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration.

¹⁸For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creatures.

¹⁹You know, my dearest brethren. And let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to anger.

²⁰For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God.

²¹Wherefore casting away all uncleanness, and abundance of naughtiness, with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

²²But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

²³For if a man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he shall be compared to a man beholding his own countenance in a glass.

²⁴For he beheld himself, and went his way, and presently forgot what manner of man he was.

²⁵But he that hath looked into the perfect law of liberty, and hath continued therein, not becoming a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work; this man shall be blessed in his deed.

²⁶And if any man think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

²⁷Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation: and to keep one's self unspotted from this world.

James 1

New International Version

1 James,^(A) a servant of God^(B) and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes^(C) scattered^(D) among the nations:

Greetings.^(E)

Trials and Temptations

²Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds,^(F) ³because you know that the testing of your faith^(G) produces perseverance.^(H) ⁴Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature^(I) and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,^(J) who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.^(K) ⁶But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt,^(L) because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸Such a person is double-minded^(M) and unstable^(N) in all they do.

⁹Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.^(O) ¹⁰But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.^(P) ¹¹For the sun rises with scorching heat^(Q) and withers^(R) the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed.^(S) In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

¹²Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial^(T) because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life^(U) that the Lord has promised to those who love him.^(V)

¹³When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own^(W) evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;^(X) and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.^(Y)

¹⁶Don’t be deceived,^(Z) my dear brothers and sisters.^(AA) ¹⁷Every good and perfect gift is from above,^(AB) coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,^(AC) who does not change^(AD) like shifting shadows. ¹⁸He chose to give us birth^(AE) through the word of truth,^(AF) that we might be a kind of firstfruits^(AG) of all he created.

Listening and Doing

¹⁹My dear brothers and sisters,^(AH) take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak^(AI) and slow to become angry, ²⁰because human anger^(AJ) does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ²¹Therefore, get rid of^(AK) all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you,^(AL) which can save you.

²²Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.^(AM) ²³Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom,^(AN) and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.^(AO)

²⁶Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues^(AP) deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. ²⁷Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after^(AQ) orphans and widows^(AR) in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.^(AS)

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

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered abroad [among the Gentiles in the dispersion]: Greetings (^[a]rejoice)!

²Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.

³Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.

⁴But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.

⁵If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of ^[b]the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.

⁶Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.

⁷For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord,

⁸[For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].

⁹Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his elevation [as a Christian, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God],

¹⁰And the rich [person ought to glory] in being humbled [by being shown his human frailty], because like the flower of the grass he will pass away.

¹¹For the sun comes up with a scorching heat and parches the grass; its flower falls off and its beauty fades away. Even so will the rich man wither and die in the midst of his pursuits.^(A)

¹²Blessed (happy, ^[c]to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.

¹³Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by [what is] evil and He Himself tempts no one.

¹⁴But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions).

¹⁵Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death.

¹⁶Do not be misled, my beloved brethren.

¹⁷Every good gift and every perfect (^[d]free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all [that gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse].

¹⁸And it was of His own [free] will that He gave us birth [as sons] by [His] Word of Truth, so that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures [a sample of what He created to be consecrated to Himself].

¹⁹Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry.

²⁰For man’s anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires].

²¹So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.

²²But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].

²³For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror;

²⁴For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.

²⁵But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).

²⁶If anyone thinks himself to be religious (piously observant of the external duties of his faith) and does not bridle his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person’s religious service is worthless (futile, barren).

²⁷External ^[e]religious worship [^[f]religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.

Footnotes

James 1:1 Literal translation.
James 1:5 Literal translation.
James 1:12 Alexander Souter, Pocket Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.
James 1:17 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament.
James 1:27 Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown, A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments: “Religion in its rise interests us about ourselves; in its progress, about our fellow creatures; in its highest stage, about the honor of God.”
James 1:27 G. Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament.

James 1

New King James Version

Greeting to the Twelve Tribes

1 James, ^(A)a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:

Greetings.

Profiting from Trials

²My brethren, ^(B)count it all joy ^(C)when you fall into various trials, ³^(D)knowing that the testing of your faith produces ^[a]patience. ⁴But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be ^[b]perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵^(E)If any of you lacks wisdom, ^(F)let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and ^(G)it will be given to him. ⁶^(H)But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸he is ^(I)a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

The Perspective of Rich and Poor

⁹Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, ¹⁰but the rich in his humiliation, because ^(J)as a flower of the field he will pass away. ¹¹For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

Loving God Under Trials

¹²^(K)Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive ^(L)the crown of life ^(M)which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. ¹³Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. ¹⁴But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵Then, ^(N)when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, ^(O)brings forth death.

¹⁶Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. ¹⁷^(P)Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, ^(Q)with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. ¹⁸^(R)Of His own will He brought us forth by the ^(S)word of truth, ^(T)that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Qualities Needed in Trials

¹⁹^[c]So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, ^(U)slow to speak, ^(V)slow to wrath; ²⁰for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Doers—Not Hearers Only

²¹Therefore ^(W)lay aside all filthiness and ^[d]overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, ^(X)which is able to save your souls.

²²But ^(Y)be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³For ^(Z)if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵But ^(AA)he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, ^(AB)this one will be blessed in what he does.

²⁶If anyone ^[e]among you thinks he is religious, and ^(AC)does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. ²⁷^(AD)Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: ^(AE)to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, ^(AF)and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Footnotes

James 1:3 endurance or perseverance
James 1:4 mature
James 1:19 NU Know this or This you know
James 1:21 abundance
James 1:26 NU omits among you

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)

Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)

New International Version (NIV)

James 1

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition