James 1

₁James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:

Greetings.

₂Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ₃for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ₄And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

₅If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ₆But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ₇For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ₈he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

₉Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, ₁₀and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. ₁₁For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

₁₂Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. ₁₃Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. ₁₄But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ₁₅Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

₁₆Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. ₁₇Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. ₁₈Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

₁₉Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; ₂₀for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. ₂₁Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

₂₂But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ₂₃For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. ₂₄For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. ₂₅But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

₂₆If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. ₂₇Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.