1 J ames, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are of the Dispersion, greeting.

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered abroad: Greetings ( rejoice)!

2 C ount it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations;

Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.

3 K nowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience.

Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.

4 A nd let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.

But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfectly and fully developed, lacking in nothing.

5 B ut if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.

6 B ut let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.

7 F or let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord;

For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything from the Lord,

8 a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways.

a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything.

9 B ut let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate:

Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his elevation,

10 a nd the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

And the rich in being humbled, because like the flower of the grass he will pass away.

11 F or the sun ariseth with the scorching wind, and withereth the grass: and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his goings.

For the sun comes up with a scorching heat and parches the grass; its flower falls off and its beauty fades away. Even so will the rich man wither and die in the midst of his pursuits.

12 B lessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to them that love him.

Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.

13 L et no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man:

Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by evil and He Himself tempts no one.

14 b ut each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions).

15 T hen the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death.

Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death.

16 B e not deceived, my beloved brethren.

Do not be misled, my beloved brethren.

17 E very good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.

Every good gift and every perfect ( free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all light, in Whom there can be no variation or shadow cast by His turning.

18 O f his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

And it was of His own will that He gave us birth by Word of Truth, so that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

19 Y e know this, my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

Understand, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry.

20 f or the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

For man’s anger does not promote the righteousness God.

21 W herefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted contains the power to save your souls.

22 B ut be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves.

But be doers of the Word, and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves.

23 F or if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror:

For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his natural face in a mirror;

24 f or he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.

25 B ut he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.

But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer, he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).

26 I f any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this man's religion is vain.

If anyone thinks himself to be religious (piously observant of the external duties of his faith) and does not bridle his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person’s religious service is worthless (futile, barren).

27 P ure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

External religious worship '> religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.