| English Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. | 1James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings. |
| 2Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, | 2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, |
| 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. | 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. |
| 4And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. | 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so 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. | 5But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to 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. | 6But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. |
| 7For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; | 7For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, |
| 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. | 8being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. |
| 9Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, | 9But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; |
| 10and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. | 10and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering 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. | 11For 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. |
| 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. | 12Blessed 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. |
| 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. | 13Let 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. |
| 14But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. | 14But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. |
| 15Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. | 15Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. |
| 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. | 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. |
| 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. | 17Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. |
| 18Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. | 18In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. |
| 19Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; | 19This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; |
| 20for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. | 20for the anger of man does not achieve 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. | 21Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. |
| 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | 22But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. |
| 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. | 23For 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; |
| 24For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. | 24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. |
| 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. | 25But 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 will be blessed in what he does. |
| 26If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. | 26If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man'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. | 27Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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