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

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 brothers, when you fall into various 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 testing of your faith produces endurance.

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

4 L et endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, 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 lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to 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, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave 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 that man not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.

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

8 H e is a double-minded 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 in humble circumstances glory in his high position;

Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his elevation,

10 a nd the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away.

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

11 F or the sun arises with the scorching wind, and withers the grass, and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in his pursuits.

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 who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who 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 by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

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 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 has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, produces 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 on’t be deceived, my beloved brothers.

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, nor turning shadow.

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 gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits 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 S o, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;

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 anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.

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

21 T herefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility 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 doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.

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

23 F or if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at 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 sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

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

25 B ut he who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.

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 himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

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 unstained by 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.