| New King James Version | King James Bible |
| 1James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings. | 1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. |
| 2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, | 2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; |
| 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. | 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. |
| 4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. | 4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. |
| 5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. | 5If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. |
| 6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. | 6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. |
| 7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; | 7For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. |
| 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. | 8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. |
| 9Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, | 9Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: |
| 10but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. | 10But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. |
| 11For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits. | 11For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. |
| 12Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. | 12Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. |
| 13Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. | 13Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: |
| 14But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. | 14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. |
| 15Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. | 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. |
| 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. | 16Do not err, my beloved brethren. |
| 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. | 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. |
| 18Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. | 18Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. |
| 19So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; | 19Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: |
| 20for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. | 20For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. |
| 21Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. | 21Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. |
| 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | 22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. |
| 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; | 23For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: |
| 24for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. | 24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. |
| 25But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. | 25But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. |
| 26If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. | 26If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. |
| 27Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. | 27Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
|
