1 James,a a servant of Godb and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribesc scatteredd among the nations:
Greetings.e
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,a 3because you know that the testing of your faithb produces perseverance.c 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be matured and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,e who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.f 6But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt,g because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7Those who doubt should not think they will receive anything from the Lord; 8they are double-mindedh and unstablei in all they do.
9Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.j 10But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.k 11For the sun rises with scorching heatl and withersm the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed.n In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12Blessed are those who persevere under trial,o because when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of lifep that God has promised to those who love him.q
13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each of you is tempted when you are dragged away by your ownr evil desire and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;s and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.t
16Don’t be deceived,u my dear brothers and sisters.v 17Every good and perfect gift is from above,w coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,x who does not changey like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birthz through the word of truth,a that we might be a kind of firstfruitsb of all he created.
19My dear brothers and sisters,a take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speakb and slow to become angry, 20because our angerc does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid ofd all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you,e which can save you.
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.f 23Those who listen to the word but do not do what it says are like people who look at their faces in a mirror 24and, after looking at themselves, go away and immediately forget what they look like. 25But those who look intently into the perfect law that gives freedomg and continue in it—not forgetting what they have heard but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.h
26Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tonguesi deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look afterj orphans and widowsk in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.l