| New American Standard Bible 1995 | International Standard Version |
| 1James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings. | 1From: James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. To: The twelve tribes in the Dispersion. Greetings. |
| 2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, | 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you are involved in various trials, |
| 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. | 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. |
| 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. | 4But you must let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. |
| 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. | 5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to everyone generously without a rebuke, and it will be given to him. |
| 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. | 6But he must ask in faith, without any doubts, for the one who has doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. |
| 7For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, | 7Such a person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. |
| 8being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. | 8He is a double-minded man, unstable in all he undertakes. |
| 9But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; | 9A brother of humble means should rejoice in his having been exalted, |
| 10and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. | 10and a rich person in his having been humbled, because he will fade away like a wild flower. |
| 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. | 11For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass. The flower in it drops off, and its beauty is gone. That is how the rich person will fade away in his pursuits. |
| 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. | 12How blessed is the man who endures temptation! When he has passed the test, he will receive the victor's crown of life that God has promised to those who keep on loving him. |
| 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. | 13When someone is tempted, he should not say, "I am being tempted by God," because God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone. |
| 14But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. | 14Instead, each person is tempted by his own desire, being lured and trapped by it. |
| 15Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. | 15When that desire becomes pregnant, it gives birth to sin; and when that sin grows up, it gives birth to death. |
| 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. | 16Do not be deceived, my dear brothers. |
| 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. | 17Every generous act of giving and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father who made the heavenly lights, in whom there is no inconsistency or shifting shadow. |
| 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. | 18In accordance with his will he made us his children by the word of truth, so that we might become the most important of his creatures. |
| 19This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; | 19You must understand this, my dear brothers. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. |
| 20for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. | 20For human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. |
| 21Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. | 21Therefore, rid yourselves of everything impure and every expression of wickedness, and with a gentle spirit welcome the word planted in you that can save your souls. |
| 22But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. | 22Keep on being obedient to the word, and not merely being hearers who deceive themselves. |
| 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; | 23For if anyone hears the word but is not obedient to it, he is like a man who looks at himself in a mirror |
| 24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. | 24and studies himself carefully, and then goes off and immediately forgets what he looks like. |
| 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. | 25But the one who looks at the perfect law of freedom and remains committed to it—thereby demonstrating that he is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of what that law requires—will be blessed in what he does. |
| 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. | 26If anyone thinks that he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, but instead deceives himself, his religion is worthless. |
| 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. | 27A religion that is pure and stainless according to God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. |
| 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 | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
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