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

James, of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ a servant, to the Twelve Tribes who are in the dispersion: Hail!

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

All joy count, my brethren, when ye may fall into temptations manifold;

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

knowing that the proof of your faith doth work endurance,

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

and let the endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire -- in nothing lacking;

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.

and if any of you do lack wisdom, let him ask from God, who is giving to all liberally, and not reproaching, and it shall be given to 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.

and let him ask in faith, nothing doubting, for he who is doubting hath been like a wave of the sea, driven by wind and tossed,

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

for let not that man suppose that he shall receive anything from the Lord --

8 a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways.

a two-souled man unstable in all his ways.

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

And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation,

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 his becoming low, because as a flower of grass he shall 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 did rise with the burning heat, and did wither the grass, and the flower of it fell, and the grace of its appearance did perish, so also the rich in his way shall fade away!

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.

Happy the man who doth endure temptation, because, becoming approved, he shall receive the crown of the life, which the Lord did promise to those loving 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, being tempted -- `From God I am tempted,' for God is not tempted of evil, and Himself doth tempt no one,

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

and each one is tempted, by his own desires being led away and enticed,

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

afterward the desire having conceived, doth give birth to sin, and the sin having been perfected, doth bring forth death.

16 B e not deceived, my beloved brethren.

Be not led astray, my brethren beloved;

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 giving, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of 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.

having counselled, He did beget us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit 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:

So then, my brethren beloved, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

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

for the wrath of a man the righteousness of God doth not work;

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

wherefore having put aside all filthiness and superabundance of evil, in meekness be receiving the engrafted word, that is able to save your souls;

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

and become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving 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:

because, if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one hath been like to a man viewing 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 did view himself, and hath gone away, and immediately he did forget of what kind he was;

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.

and he who did look into the perfect law -- that of liberty, and did continue there, this one -- not a forgetful hearer becoming, but a doer of work -- this one shall be happy in his doing.

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 any one doth think to be religious among you, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, of this one vain the religion;

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.

religion pure and undefiled with the God and Father is this, to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation -- unspotted to keep himself from the world.