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Greeting

¹ James,^(C1) a servant of God^(C2) and of the Lord Jesus Christ:

To the twelve tribes^(C3) dispersed abroad.^(F1)(C4)

Greetings.^(C5)

Trials and Maturity

² Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials,^{(C1) 3} because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

⁵ Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.^{(C1) 6} But let him ask in faith without doubting.^(F1) For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, ⁸ being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.^(F1)(C1)

⁹ Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation, ¹⁰ but let the rich boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field.^{(C1) 11} For the sun rises and, together with the scorching wind, dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance perishes. In the same way, the rich person will wither away while pursuing his activities.^(C1)

¹² Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown^(C1) of life that God^(F1) has promised to those who love him.^(C2)

¹³ No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire.^{(C1) 15} Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.^(C1)

¹⁶ Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.^{(C1) 17} Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.^{(C1) 18} By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.^(C1)

Hearing and Doing the Word

¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,^{(C1) 20} for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. ²¹ Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent,^(F1) humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.^(C1)

²² But^(C1) be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face^(F1) in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. ²⁵ But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does.^(C1)

²⁶ If anyone^(F1) thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue,^(C1) his religion is useless and he deceives himself. ²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows^(C1) in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.^(C2)