| New King James Version | New International Version |
| 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 scattered among the nations: Greetings. |
| 2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, | 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, |
| 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. | 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. |
| 4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. | 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. |
| 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 lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. |
| 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 when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. |
| 7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; | 7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. |
| 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. | 8Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. |
| 9Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, | 9Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. |
| 10but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. | 10But the rich should take pride in their humiliation--since they will pass away like a wild flower. |
| 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 rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. |
| 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 one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that 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, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. | 13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; |
| 14But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. | 14but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. |
| 15Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. | 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. |
| 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. | 16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. |
| 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 and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. |
| 18Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. | 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. |
| 19So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; | 19My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, |
| 20for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. | 20because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. |
| 21Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. | 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. |
| 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. |
| 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; | 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror |
| 24for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. | 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. |
| 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 whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it--not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it--they will be blessed in what they do. |
| 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. | 26Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. |
| 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. | 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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