James, 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 of the Dispersion: Greetings.

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

If 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.

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.

But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.

For 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 rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Blessed 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 is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Do not err, my beloved brethren.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

Every 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 and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,

For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.

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

Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

For 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 anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror,

For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

But 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 the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.

If 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 considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.

Pure 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.

Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.