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

This letter is from James. I am a servant owned by God and the Lord Jesus Christ. I greet the twelve family groups of the Jewish nation living in many parts of the world. Take Hope When Tests Come

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

My Christian brothers, you should be happy when you have all kinds of tests.

3 k nowing that the proving of your faith works patience,

You know these prove your faith. It helps you not to give up.

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

Learn well how to wait so you will be strong and complete and in need of 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 you do not have wisdom, ask God for it. He is always ready to give it to you and will never say you are wrong for asking.

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.

You must have faith as you ask Him. You must not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like a wave which is pushed around by the sea.

7 F or let not such a man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.

Such a man will get nothing from the Lord.

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

The man who has two ways of thinking changes in everything he does.

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

A Christian brother who has few riches of this world should be happy for what he has. He is great in the eyes of God.

10 a nd he who is rich, in his low status, because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

But a rich man should be happy even if he loses everything. He is like a flower that will die.

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.

The sun comes up with burning heat. The grass dries up and the flower falls off. It is no longer beautiful. The rich man will die also and all his riches will be gone.

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.

The man who does not give up when tests come is happy. After the test is over, he will receive the crown of life. God has promised this to those who love Him. God Does Not Tempt Us

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:

When you are tempted to do wrong, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God cannot be tempted. He will never tempt anyone.

14 B ut each one is tempted, when they are drawn away of their own lust and enticed.

A man is tempted to do wrong when he lets himself be led by what his bad thoughts tell him to do.

15 T hen when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.

When he does what his bad thoughts tell him to do, he sins. When sin completes its work, it brings death.

16 D o not err, my beloved brethren.

My Christian brothers, do not be fooled about this.

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.

Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God. He is the One Who made all light. He does not change. No shadow is made 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.

He gave us our new lives through the truth of His Word only because He wanted to. We are the first children in His family.

19 ¶ Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

My Christian brothers, you know everyone should listen much and speak little. He should be slow to become angry.

20 f or the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God.

A man’s anger does not allow him to be right with 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.

Put out of your life all that is unclean and wrong. Receive with a gentle spirit the Word that was taught. It has the power to save your souls from the punishment of sin.

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

Obey the Word of God. If you hear only and do not act, you are only fooling yourself.

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:

Anyone who hears the Word of God and does not obey is like a man looking at his face in a mirror.

24 F or he considered himself and went his way and in one hour forgot what he was like.

After he sees himself and goes away, he forgets what he looks 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 the one who keeps looking into God’s perfect Law and does not forget it will do what it says and be happy as he does it. God’s Word makes men free.

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 a person thinks he is religious, but does not keep his tongue from speaking bad things, he is fooling himself. His religion is worth nothing.

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.

Religion that is pure and good before God the Father is to help children who have no parents and to care for women whose husbands have died who have troubles. Pure religion is also to keep yourself clean from the sinful things of the world.