1 ¶ James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus, the Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

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

2 ¶ My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse trials,

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 works patience,

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

4 a nd the patience finishes the work, that ye may be perfect and entire, not lacking in anything.

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 A nd if any of you lacks wisdom, let them ask of God (who gives abundantly to all, and without reproach), and it shall be given them.

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 ask in faith, not doubting anything. For he that doubts is like the wave of the sea which is driven of the wind and is tossed from one side to another.

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 such a 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 T he double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

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

9 L et the brother of low degree rejoice in his high status;

Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his elevation,

10 a nd he who is rich, in his low status, 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 is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and its flower falls, and the beautiful appearance of it perishes: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

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 patiently endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those 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 ¶ Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither does he tempt anyone:

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 one is tempted, when they are drawn away of their 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 when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, brings 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 D o not err, my beloved brethren.

Do not be misled, my beloved brethren.

17 E very good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness neither shadow of 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 H e, of his own will, has begotten us with the word of truth, that we should be the 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 ¶ Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be quick 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 does not work the righteousness of God.

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

21 S o then, leave all uncleanness and remains of malice and receive with meekness the word ingested within you, which is able to cause your souls to be saved.

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, deceiving your own selves.

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

23 F or if anyone hears the word and does not put it into practice, this same is like unto the 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 considered himself and went his way and in one hour forgot what he was like.

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

25 B ut whosoever has looked attentively into the perfect law of liberty and has persevered in it, not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, the same shall be blessed in their deed.

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 anyone among you thinks to be religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, his 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 T he pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation and to keep thyself unspotted from this 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.