James 1
New American Standard Bible
The Testing of Your Faith
1 [a](A)James, a (B)bond-servant of God and (C)of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To (D)the twelve tribes who are [b](E)dispersed abroad: (F)Greetings.
2 (G)Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter (H)various [c]trials, 3 knowing that (I)the testing of your (J)faith produces [d](K)endurance. 4 And let [e](L)endurance have its perfect [f]result, so that you may be [g](M)perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you (N)lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and [h]without reproach, and (O)it will be given to him. 6 But he must (P)ask in faith (Q)without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, (R)driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a (S)[i]double-minded man, (T)unstable in all his ways.
9 (U)Now the brother or sister of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 10 but the rich person is to glory in his [j]humiliation, because (V)like [k]flowering grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with (W)its scorching heat and (X)withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so also the rich person, in the midst of his pursuits, will die out.
12 (Y)Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has [l]been approved, he will receive (Z)the crown of life which the Lord (AA)has promised to those who (AB)love Him. 13 No one is to say when he is tempted, “(AC)I am being tempted [m]by God”; for God cannot be tempted [n]by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then (AD)when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and (AE)sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death. 16 (AF)Do not be [o]deceived, (AG)my beloved brothers and sisters. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is (AH)from above, coming down from (AI)the Father of lights, (AJ)with whom there is no variation or [p]shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of (AK)His will He (AL)gave us birth by (AM)the word of truth, so that we would be [q]a kind of (AN)first fruits [r]among His creatures.
19 [s](AO)You know this, (AP)my beloved brothers and sisters. Now everyone must be quick to hear, (AQ)slow to speak, and (AR)slow to anger; 20 for a man’s (AS)anger does not bring about the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, (AT)ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all [t]that remains of wickedness, in [u]humility receive (AU)the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 (AV)But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his [v]natural face (AW)in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, [w]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, (AX)the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but [x]an active doer, this person will be (AY)blessed in [y]what he does.
26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not [z](AZ)bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion (BA)in the sight of our God and Father is this: to (BB)visit (BC)orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained [aa]by (BD)the world.
Footnotes
- James 1:1 Or Jacob
- James 1:1 Lit in the Dispersion
- James 1:2 Or temptations
- James 1:3 Or steadfastness
- James 1:4 Or steadfastness
- James 1:4 Lit work
- James 1:4 Or mature
- James 1:5 Lit does not reproach
- James 1:8 I.e., a chronic doubter
- James 1:10 Or downfall
- James 1:10 Lit the flower of the grass
- James 1:12 Or passed the test
- James 1:13 Lit from
- James 1:13 Lit of evil things
- James 1:16 Or misled
- James 1:17 Lit shadow of turning
- James 1:18 Or a certain first fruits
- James 1:18 Lit of
- James 1:19 Or Know this
- James 1:21 Lit abundance of malice
- James 1:21 Or gentleness
- James 1:23 Lit the face of his birth; or nature
- James 1:24 Lit and he
- James 1:25 Lit a doer of a work
- James 1:25 Lit his doing
- James 1:26 Or control
- James 1:27 Lit from
James 1
International Standard Version
Greetings
1 From:[a] James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.[b]
To: The twelve tribes in the Dispersion.[c]
Greetings.
Responding Wisely to Life
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you are involved in various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 But you must 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 everyone generously without a rebuke, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, without any doubts, for the one who has doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 Such a person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all he undertakes.[d]
9 A brother of humble means should rejoice in his having been exalted, 10 and a rich person in his having been humbled, because he will fade away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass. The flower in it drops off, and its beauty is gone. That is how the rich person will fade away in his pursuits.
Trial and Temptation
12 How blessed is the man who endures temptation! When he has passed the test, he will receive the victor’s crown of life that God[e] has promised to those who keep on loving him. 13 When someone is tempted, he should not say, “I am being tempted by God,” because God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone. 14 Instead, each person is tempted by his own desire, being lured and trapped by it. 15 When that desire becomes pregnant, it gives birth to sin; and when that sin grows up, it gives birth to death.
Practical Christian Living
16 Do not be[f] deceived, my dear brothers. 17 Every generous act of giving and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father who made the heavenly lights,[g] in whom there is no inconsistency or shifting shadow. 18 In accordance with his will he made us his children by the word of truth, so that we might become the most important of his creatures.[h]
19 You must understand this, my dear brothers. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 For human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, rid yourselves of everything impure and every expression of wickedness, and with a gentle spirit welcome the word planted in you that can save your souls.
22 Keep on being obedient to[i] the word, and not merely being hearers who deceive themselves. 23 For if anyone hears the word but is not obedient to it, he is like a man who looks at himself in a mirror 24 and studies himself carefully, and then goes off and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the one who looks at the perfect law of freedom and remains committed to it—thereby demonstrating that he is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of what that law[j] requires—will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone thinks that he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, but instead deceives himself,[k] his religion is worthless. 27 A religion that is pure and stainless according to[l] God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Footnotes
- James 1:1 The Gk. lacks From
- James 1:1 Or Christ
- James 1:1 I.e. the Jewish communities outside the land of Israel
- James 1:8 Lit. in all his ways
- James 1:12 Lit. he; other mss. read God; still other mss. read the Lord
- James 1:16 Or Don’t be
- James 1:17 Lit. the Father of lights
- James 1:18 Lit. a kind of first fruits among his creatures
- James 1:22 Or being doers of
- James 1:25 Lit. what it
- James 1:26 Lit. deceives his own heart
- James 1:27 Lit. stainless in the sight of
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