| NET Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1From James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings! | 1James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings. |
| 2My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, | 2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, |
| 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. | 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. |
| 4And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything. | 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. |
| 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. | 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 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. | 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, |
| 8since he is a double-minded individual, unstable in all his ways. | 8being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. |
| 9Now the believer of humble means should take pride in his high position. | 9But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; |
| 10But the rich person's pride should be in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a wildflower in the meadow. | 10and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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 tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted by 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 one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. | 14But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. |
| 15Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death. | 15Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. |
| 16Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters. | 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 19Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, 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 human anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. | 20for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. |
| 21So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the message implanted within you, 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 sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. | 22But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. |
| 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. | 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 gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. | 24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. |
| 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. | 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 someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. //netbible.com. Used by permission. 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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