James 1
1 James, a servant, of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, —unto the twelve tribes that are in the dispersion, Wishes joy.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Diaspora: Greetings.
2 All Joy, account it, my brethren, whensoever ye fall in with, manifold, temptations, —
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,
3 Taking note, that, the proving of your faith, worketh out endurance;
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 But let, your endurance, have, mature work, that ye may be mature and complete, in nothing, coming short.
Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But, if any of you is sinning short of wisdom, let him be asking of God, Who giveth unto all freely and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him;
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without finding fault; and it will be given to him.
6 But let him be asking in faith, nothing, doubting, for, he that doubteth, is like a wave of the sea, wind-driven and storm-tossed, —
But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord—
For let that person not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.
8 A two-souled man, unstable in all his ways.
He is a double-minded person, unstable in all his ways.
9 But boasting be the lowly brother in his uplifting;
But let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position;
10 Whereas the rich, in his being brought low, —because, as a flower of grass, he will pass away;
and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away.
11 For the sun hath sprung up, with it scorching heat, and hath withered the grass, and, the flower thereof, hath fallen out, and, the beauty of the face thereof, hath perished, —so, also the rich, in his goings, shall languish.
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 also will the rich person fade away in his pursuits.
12 Happy the man who endureth temptation! Because, becoming approved, he shall receive the crown of life—which he hath promised unto them that love him.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which he promised to those who love him.
13 Let, no one, while tempted, be saying—From God, am I tempted, —for, God, cannot be tempted by things evil, and, himself, tempteth no one;
Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.
14 But, each one, is tempted, when, by his own coveting, he is drawn out and enticed,
But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then, the coveting, having conceived, giveth birth to sin, and, the sin, when full-grown, bringeth forth death.
Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.
16 Be not deceived, my brethren beloved: —
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
17 Every good giving, and every perfect gift, is, from above, coming down from the Father of lights—with whom is no alternation, nor shadow cast, by turning:
All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.
18 Because he was so minded, he hath brought us forth with a word of truth, to the end we should be a sort of firstfruit of his creatures
Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
19 Ye know, my brethren beloved, —but let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
This you know, my beloved brothers. But let every person be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;
20 For, man’s anger, worketh not, God’s righteousness.
for human anger does not produce the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore, putting away all filthiness and overflow of baseness, in meekness, welcome ye the word fitted for inward growth, which is able to save your souls:
Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 Become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only—reasoning yourselves astray;
But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.
23 Because, if any is, a word-hearer, and not a doer, the same, is like unto a man observing his natural face in a mirror, —
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his natural face in a mirror;
24 For he observed himself, and is gone away, and, straightway, it hath escaped him, —what manner of man, he was!
for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was.
25 But, he that hath obtained a nearer view into the perfect law of liberty, and hath taken up his abode by it, becoming—not a forgetful hearer, but a work doer, the same, happy in his doing, shall be.
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 person will be blessed in what he does.
26 If any thinketh he is observant of religion, not curbing his own tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this one’s, religious observance is, vain:
If anyone thinks himself to be religious while he does not control his tongue, but deceives his heart, this one's religion is worthless.
27 Religious observance, pure and undefiled with our God and Father, is, this—to be visiting orphans and widows in their affliction, unspotted, to keep, himself, from the world.
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.
