| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: To the 12 tribes in the Dispersion. Greetings. | 1From James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings! |
| 2Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, | 2My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, |
| 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. | 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. |
| 4But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. | 4And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything. |
| 5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to 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 without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, 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. |
| 7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. | 7For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, |
| 8An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways. | 8since he is a double-minded individual, unstable in all his ways. |
| 9The brother of humble circumstances should boast in his exaltation, | 9Now the believer of humble means should take pride in his high position. |
| 10but the one who is rich should boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field. | 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 dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will wither away while pursuing his activities. | 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. |
| 12A man who endures trials is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that 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. |
| 13No one undergoing a trial should say, "I am being tempted by God." For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn't tempt anyone. | 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 drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. | 14But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. |
| 15Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death. | 15Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death. |
| 16Don't be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. | 16Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters. |
| 17Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. | 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. |
| 18By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the 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. |
| 19My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, | 19Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. |
| 20for man's anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. | 20For human anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. |
| 21Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and evil, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save you. | 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. |
| 23Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own 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, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. | 24For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. |
| 25But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works--this person will be blessed in what he does. | 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 without controlling his tongue, then his religion is useless and he deceives himself. | 26If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile. |
| 27Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by 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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