Beginning
1 James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion: Greetings.
Endure Your Trials With Joy, Asking God For Wisdom And Viewing Life From His Standpoint
2 Regard it all joy, my brothers, whenever you fall-into[a] various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith is producing endurance. 4 And let endurance be having its complete[b] work in order that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing. 5 And if any of you is lacking wisdom, let him be asking from the God giving generously to all and not reproaching[c], and it will be given to him. 6 But let him be asking in faith, not doubting[d] at all. For the one doubting is like a surge of the sea being blown-by-wind and tossed. 7 For let that person not be supposing that he will receive anything from the Lord— 8 a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9 And let the lowly[e] brother be boasting in his height, 10 and the rich one in his lowliness, because he will pass-away like a flower of grass. 11 For the sun rose with the burning-heat and dried-up the grass, and its flower fell-off and the beauty of its appearance perished. In this manner also the rich one will fade-away in his pursuits. 12 Blessed[f] is the man who endures the trial, because having become[g] approved, he will receive the crown of [h] life which He promised to the ones loving Him.
But Temptation To Evil Comes From Within, Not From God
13 Let no one being tempted be saying that “I am being tempted by[i] God”. For God is not-tempted by evils. And He Himself tempts no one, 14 but each one is tempted by[j] his own desire while being drawn-away[k] and enticed[l]. 15 Then the desire, having conceived, gives-birth to sin. And the sin, having been fully-formed[m], brings-forth death. 16 Do not be deceived!
Receive God’s Lifegiving Gift of The Implanted Word With Gentleness Toward Others, Not Anger
My[n] beloved brothers, 17 every good gift-giving[o] and every perfect gift-given is from-above, coming down from the Father of lights[p], with Whom there is no variation[q] or shadow[r] of turning. 18 Having willed[s] it, He brought[t] us forth by the word of truth so that we might be a kind-of firstfruit of His creatures. 19 You know[u] this, my beloved brothers, but[v] let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow into anger. 20 For the anger of a man does not produce[w] the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore having laid-aside all filthiness and abundance[x] of badness, receive with gentleness the implanted word being able to save your souls.
But Be Doers of The Word, Not Hearers Only
22 But be[y] doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding[z] yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one is like a man considering[aa] the face of his birth[ab] in a mirror. 24 For he considered himself and has gone-away and immediately forgot[ac] what-sort of man he was. 25 But the one having looked into the perfect law of liberty and having continued, not having become a forgetful[ad] hearer, but a doer of work— this one will be blessed in his doing. 26 If anyone thinks that he is religious while not bridling[ae] his tongue, but deceiving his heart, the religion[af] of this one is worthless[ag]. 27 This is pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father— to be looking-after orphans and widows in their affliction; to be keeping oneself unspotted by the world.
Do Not Show Partiality Based On Earthly Status
2 My brothers, do not be holding the faith of [ah] our Lord Jesus Christ of [ai] glory with respect-of-persons[aj]. 2 For if a gold-ringed man in shining clothing enters into your gathering, and a poor man in filthy clothing also enters, 3 and you look-upon[ak] the one wearing the shining clothing and say “You be sitting here honorably[al]”, and you say to the poor man “You stand there, or be sitting under[am] my footstool”, 4 did you not make-distinctions among yourselves and become judges with[an] evil thoughts?
God Does Not Base His Actions On Human Distinctions. Love Your Neighbor
5 Listen, my beloved brothers— did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and inheritors of the kingdom which He promised to the ones loving Him? 6 But you dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and themselves drag you into courts? 7 Do not they blaspheme the good name having been called[ao] upon you? 8 If indeed[ap] you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture [in Lev 19:18], “You shall love your neighbor as yourself ”, you are doing well[aq]. 9 But if you are showing-respect-of-persons you are working[ar] a sin, being convicted[as] by the Law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole Law but stumbles in one thing has become guilty of all. 11 For the One having said “Do not commit-adultery” also said “Do not murder”. Now if you do not commit-adultery, but you murder, you have become a transgressor of the Law. 12 So speak and so do as ones going to be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment will be merciless to the one not having done[at] mercy. Mercy vaunts[au] over judgment.
Faith Without Works Is Dead
14 What is the profit, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works[av]? The[aw] faith is not able to save him, is it? 15 If brother or sister are naked and lacking daily food 16 and one of you says to them “Go in peace; be warmed and filled”, but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what is the profit[ax]? 17 In this manner also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by[ay] itself.
Faith Cannot Be Seen Apart From Works
18 But someone will say “You have faith, and I have works”. Show me your faith without[az] the works, and I will show you the faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one[ba]? You do well. Even the demons believe and shudder!
Faith Is Perfected By Works
20 But do you want to know[bb], O empty[bc] person, that faith without works is useless[bd]? 21 Abraham our father— was he not declared-righteous by works[be], having offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you[bf] see that faith was working-with his works, and the faith was perfected[bg] by the works? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled, the one saying [in Gen 15:6] “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness”. And he was called a friend of God. 24 Do you[bh] all see that a person is declared-righteous by works, and not by faith alone[bi]? 25 And likewise also Rahab the prostitute— was she not declared-righteous by works, having received the messengers and sent-them-out by a different way? 26 For just as the body without spirit[bj] is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Control Your Tongue And You Will Control Your Life
3 Do not become[bk] many[bl] teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a greater judgment. 2 For we all stumble many[bm] ways. If one does not stumble in speech, this one is a perfect man able to bridle[bn] also the whole body. 3 Now if we put bridles into the mouths of horses so-that they obey us, we also guide their whole body. 4 Behold also ships being so large and being driven by hard winds— they are guided by a very small rudder where the impulse of the one steering wants. 5 So also the tongue is a small body-part, and boastfully-declares great things. Behold how-small a fire kindles how-great a forest!
An Untamed Tongue Stains And Burns And Poisons Life
6 And the tongue is a fire! The[bo] tongue is made[bp] the world of [bq] unrighteousness among our body-parts— the thing staining the whole body and setting-on-fire the course of our existence, and being set-on-fire by Gehenna[br]. 7 For every nature[bs] of both wild-animals and birds, of both reptiles and sea-creatures, is tamed and has been tamed by the human nature. 8 But none of mankind is able to tame the tongue— a restless evil, full of death-bringing poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse the people having been made in accordance with the likeness of God; 10 a blessing and a curse come out of the same mouth.
Such Destruction Ought Not To Proceed From Us
My brothers, these things ought[bt] not to be so. 11 The spring does not gush out of the same opening the sweet and the bitter, does it? 12 A fig tree is not able, my brothers, to make olives, or a grapevine figs, is it? Neither is salty water able to make sweet water.
Your Speech And Conduct And The Fruit They Produce Reveal The Source of Your Wisdom
13 Who[bu] is wise and knowledgeable among you? Let him show from his good conduct his works done in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish-interest[bv] in your heart, do not be vaunting[bw] and lying against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not coming down[bx] from-above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish-interest are, in-that-place there is disorder[by] and every bad thing[bz]. 17 But the wisdom from-above is first pure, then peaceful, kind, yielding[ca], full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, sincere. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by the ones making peace.
Fights And Battles Come From Your Pursuit of Worldly Desires
4 From-what-source are fights and from-what-source are battles among you? Are they not from-here— from your pleasures waging-war in your body-parts? 2 You desire and do not have; you[cb] murder. And you are jealous and are not able to obtain; you battle and fight. You do not have because of your not asking! 3 You ask and do not receive because you ask badly[cc], in order that you may spend it in connection with your pleasures. 4 Adulterous[cd] ones, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes-himself [ce] an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture[cf] speaks vainly? He yearns jealously for the spirit[cg] which He made-to-dwell in us!
But God Gives Grace To The Humble. So Submit To God And Purify Your Hearts
6 But He gives greater grace. Therefore it says [in Prov 3:34], “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble”. 7 Therefore, submit to God, but resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw-near to God and He will draw-near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded ones. 9 Be miserable[ch] and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection[ci]. 10 Humble-yourselves[cj] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
So Do Not Be Speaking Against Or Judging One Another
11 Do not be speaking-against one another, brothers. The one speaking-against a brother or judging his brother is speaking-against the Law and judging the Law. But if you are judging the Law, you are not a doer of the Law, but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver and Judge— the One being able to save and to destroy. But who are you, the one judging your neighbor?
Do Not Presume To Direct Your Life Apart From God
13 Come now, the ones saying “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such-and-such city and do a year there, and we will do-business and make-a-gain”— 14 who do not know the thing of [ck] tomorrow! What is your life? For you are a vapor appearing for a little while, then indeed disappearing!— 15 instead of you saying, “If the Lord wills, we indeed[cl] will live and do this or that”. 16 But as-it-is, you are boasting in your pretensions. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to one knowing[cm] to be doing good and not doing it, to him it is a sin.
Ill-Gotten Riches Will Yield a Treasure of Miseries
5 Come now, rich ones, weep while wailing over your miseries coming-upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have become corroded[cn]. And their corrosion will be for a testimony against you, and will eat your flesh like fire. You stored-up treasure[co] in the last days! 4 Behold— the wages of the workers having mowed your fields, the wages having been fraudulently-withheld by you, cry-out. And the outcries of the ones having reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth[cp]. 5 You lived-in-luxury upon the earth, and you lived-indulgently[cq]. You fattened your hearts in[cr] a day of slaughter. 6 You condemned, you murdered the righteous. He does not oppose[cs] you!
Be Patient and Endure Hardship Until The Lord Comes
7 Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold— the farmer waits-for the precious fruit of the land, being-patient with it until it receives the early and late rain. 8 You also be-patient. Establish your hearts, because the coming of the Lord has drawn-near. 9 Do not be groaning against one another, brothers, in order that you may not be judged. Behold— the Judge stands in front of the doors. 10 Take as an example of suffering-hardship and patience, brothers, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold— we consider-blessed the ones having endured! You heard of the endurance of Job, and you saw the outcome from the Lord: that the Lord is large-hearted[ct] and compassionate.
Above All, Be True To Your Word. Be Praying And Singing-Praise
12 And above all, my brothers, do not be swearing[cu]— neither by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath. But let your yes be yes and your no be no, in order that you may not fall under judgment. 13 Is anyone among you suffering-hardship? Let him be praying. Is anyone cheerful? Let him be singing-praise.
Pray For One Another So That You May Be Healed
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him summon the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, having anointed[cv] him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of [cw] faith will restore[cx] the one being ill, and the Lord will raise him. And if he has committed[cy] sins, it will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore be confessing-out[cz] your sins to one another, and be praying for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer[da] of a righteous person can-do much while working[db]. 17 Elijah was a person of-like-nature to us, and he prayed with prayer[dc] that it not rain. And it did not rain upon the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
Try To Turn Back Those Who Stray From The Truth
19 My brothers, if anyone among you errs[dd] from the truth and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that the one having turned-back a sinner from the error of his way will save his[de] soul[df] from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing