1 J ames, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus 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 M y brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers 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 this, that the trying 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 B ut let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting 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 I f any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men 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 wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with 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 any thing of the Lord.

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

8 A 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 that he is exalted:

Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his elevation,

10 B ut 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 is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it 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 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 endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath 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, neither tempteth he any 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 every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of 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 when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, 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 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 cometh 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 O f his own will begat he us with 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 W herefore, my beloved brethren, 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 lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted 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, deceiving your own selves.

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

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

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 his way, 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 whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his 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 any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own 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 God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself 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.