| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. | 1From James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings! |
| 2Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, | 2My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, |
| 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. | 3because you know 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 effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything. |
| 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 anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, 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 doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind. |
| 7For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; | 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. | 8since he is a double-minded individual, unstable in all his ways. |
| 9Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, | 9Now the believer of humble means should take pride in his high position. |
| 10and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. | 10But the rich person's pride should be in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a wildflower in the meadow. |
| 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 its heat and dries up the meadow; the petal of the flower falls off and its beauty is lost forever. So also the rich person in the midst of his pursuits will wither 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. | 12Happy is the one who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God 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 tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. |
| 14But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. | 14But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. |
| 15Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. | 15Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death. |
| 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. | 16Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters. |
| 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. | 17All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of 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. | 18By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. |
| 19Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; | 19Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. |
| 20for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. | 20For human anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. |
| 21Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. | 21So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls. |
| 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | 22But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive 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. | 23For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone who gazes at his own face in a mirror. |
| 24For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. | 24For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort 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 the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out--he 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 someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile. |
| 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 before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world. |
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