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 .