1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are of the Dispersion, greeting.
1:1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad, greetings.

1:2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations;
1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

1:3 Knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience.
1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

1:4 And let patience have (its) perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.
1:4 And let endurance have [its] perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

1:5 But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
1:6 But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord;
1:7 For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,

1:8 a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways.
1:8 [being] a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

1:9 But let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate:
1:9 But let the brother of humble circumstances glory in his high position;

1:10 and the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
1:10 and [let] the rich man [glory] in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.

1:11 For the sun ariseth with the scorching wind, and 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 goings.
1:11 For the sun rises with a scorching wind, and withers the grass; and its flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.

1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which (the Lord) promised to them that love him.
1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which [the Lord] has promised to those who love Him.

1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man:
1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

1:14 but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
1:14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

1:15 Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death.
1:15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

1:16 Be not deceived, my beloved brethren.
1:16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.
1:17 Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.

1:18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
1:18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures.

1:19 Ye know (this), my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
1:19 [This] you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak [and] slow to anger;

1:20 for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
1:20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

1:21 Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
1:21 Therefore putting aside all filthiness and [all] that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves.
1:22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

1:23 For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror:
1:23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;

1:24 for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
1:24 for [once] he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

1:25 But he that looketh into the perfect law, the (law) of liberty, and (so) continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.
1:25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the [law] of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.

1:26 If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this man's religion is vain.
1:26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his [own] heart, this man's religion is worthless.

1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, (and) to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
1:27 This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of [our] God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, [and] to keep oneself unstained by the world.