James 1
World English Bible
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers,[a] when you fall into various temptations, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. 7 For that man shouldn’t think that he will receive anything from the Lord. 8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 But let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position; 10 and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away. 11 For the sun arises with the scorching wind and withers the grass, and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So the rich man will also fade away in his pursuits.
12 Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. 15 Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin. The sin, when it is full grown, produces death. 16 Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow. 18 Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
19 So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.[b] 22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
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
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