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James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
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Trials and Temptations
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
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Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
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If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
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But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
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That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
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Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
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But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.
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For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
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When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
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but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.
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Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
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Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.
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Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
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He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
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Listening and Doing
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
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because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
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Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
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Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
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Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror
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and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
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But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
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Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
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Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
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Favoritism Forbidden
My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
