James 1
1 Iames a seruant of God, and of the Lord Iesus Christ, to the twelue Tribes, which are scattered abroade, salutation.
James, a bondman of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it exceeding ioy, when ye fall into diuers tentations,
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when ye encounter various trials,
3 Knowing that ye trying of your faith bringeth forth patience,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
4 And let patience haue her perfect worke, that ye may be perfect and entier, lacking nothing.
And let perseverance have a perfect work, so that ye may be perfect and complete, falling short in nothing.
5 If any of you lacke wisedome, let him aske of God, which giueth to all men liberally, and reprocheth no man, and it shalbe giuen him.
And if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from God who gives to all generously and not reproaching, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him aske in faith, and wauer not: for hee that wauereth, is like a waue of the sea, tost of the winde, and caried away.
But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by wind and tossed about.
7 Neither let that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord.
For that man should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 A double minded man is vnstable in all his waies.
a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the brother of lowe degree reioyce in that he is exalted:
Now let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,
10 Againe hee that is rich, in that hee is made lowe: for as the flower of the grasse, shall he vanish away.
but the rich in his lowliness, because as a flower of grass he will pass away.
11 For as when the sunne riseth with heate, then the grasse withereth, and his flower falleth away, and the goodly shape of it perisheth: euen so shall the rich man wither away in all his waies.
For the sun rose up with the burning heat, and withered the grass. And the flower of it fell, and the beauty of its appearance perished. So also the rich man will fade away among his pursuits.
12 Blessed is ye man, that endureth tentation: for when he is tried, hee shall receiue the crowne of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him.
Blessed is a man who endures temptation, because, having become approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him.
13 Let no man say when hee is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God can not bee tempted with euill, neither tempteth he any man.
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God, for God is without temptation of evils, and he himself tempts no man.
14 But euery man is tempted, when hee is drawen away by his owne concupiscence, and is entised.
But each man is tempted by his own lust, being drawn away and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceiued, it bringeth foorth sinne, and sinne when it is finished, bringeth foorth death.
Then the lust having conceived, it gives birth to sin, and after being complete the sin brings forth death.
16 Erre not, my deare brethren.
Be not led astray, my beloved brothers.
17 Euery good giuing, and euery perfect gift is from aboue, and commeth downe from the Father of lights, with whome is no variablenes, neither shadow of turning.
Every good gift and every perfect endowment is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation nor shadow of turning.
18 Of his owne will begate hee vs with the woorde of trueth, that we shoulde be as the first fruites of his creatures.
Having deliberated, he begot us by the word of truth for us to be a certain first fruit of his creatures.
19 Wherefore my deare brethren, let euery man be swift to heare, slowe to speake, and slowe to wrath.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
20 For the wrath of man doeth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God.
For the wrath of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse, and superfluitie of maliciousnesse, and receiue with meekenes the word that is graffed in you, which is able to saue your soules.
Therefore having put off all filthiness and profusion of evil, receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 And be ye doers of the word, and not hearers onely, deceiuing your owne selues.
But become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if any heare the woorde, and doe it not, he is like vnto a man, that beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse.
Because if any man is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this resembles a man observing his natural face in a mirror.
24 For when he hath considered himselfe, hee goeth his way, and forgetteth immediately what maner of one he was.
For he observes himself, and goes away, and straightaway forgets what kind of man he was.
25 But who so looketh in the perfect Lawe of libertie, and continueth therein, hee not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the woorke, shalbe blessed in his deede.
But he who stooped to look into the perfect law, the one of liberty, and who remained, this man, who did not become a forgetful hearer but a doer of work, this man will be blessed in his doing.
26 If any man amog you seeme religious, and refraineth not his tongue, but deceiueth his owne heart, this mans religion is vaine.
If any man among you seems to be religious, not bridling his tongue but deceiving his heart, this man's religion is futile.
27 Pure religion and vndefiled before God, euen the Father, is this, to visite the fatherlesse, and widdowes in their aduersitie, and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world.
Pure religion and undefiled from God and the Father is this, to go help the orphaned and the widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
