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Greeting

^1 (a)James, a servant^[a] of God and ^(b)of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To ^(c)the twelve tribes in ^(d)the Dispersion:

Greetings.

Testing of Your Faith

^2 (e)Count it all joy, my brothers,^[b] when you meet trials ^(f)of various kinds, ³ for you know that ^(g)the testing of your faith ^(h)produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be ⁽ⁱ⁾perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

^5 (j)If any of you lacks wisdom, ^(k)let him ask God, ^(l)who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶ But ^(m)let him ask in faith, ⁽ⁿ⁾with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like ^(o)a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ^8 (p)he is a double-minded man, ^(q)unstable in all his ways.

⁹ Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, ¹⁰ and ^(r)the rich in his humiliation, because ^(s)like a flower of the grass^[c] he will pass away. ¹¹ For the sun rises with its scorching heat and ^(t)withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

^12 (u)Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive ^(v)the crown of life, ^(w)which God has promised to those who love him. ¹³ Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. ¹⁴ But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ¹⁵ Then desire ^(x)when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and ^(y)sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

¹⁶ Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. ^17 (z)Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from ^(aa)the Father of lights, ^(ab)with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.^{[d] 18 (ac)}Of his own will he ^(ad)brought us forth by the word of truth, ^(ae)that we should be a kind of ^(af)firstfruits of his creatures.

Hearing and Doing the Word

^19 (ag)Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person ^(ah)be quick to hear, ^(ai)slow to speak, ^(aj)slow to anger; ²⁰ for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. ²¹ Therefore ^(ak)put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with ^(al)meekness the implanted word, ^(am)which is able to save your souls.

²² But be ^(an)doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. ²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law, ^(ao)the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, ^(ap)he will be blessed in his doing.

²⁶ If anyone thinks he is religious ^(aq)and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's ^(ar)religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: ^(as)to visit ^(at)orphans and widows in their affliction, and ^(au)to keep oneself ^(av)unstained from the world.