A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
James 1
James 1 is the opening chapter of the fifty-ninth book of the Bible. The 27-verse chapter opens the book of James with a brief greeting and a series of practical exhortations on topics that will recur throughout the letter.
The chapter opens with the greeting. James identifies himself as a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, and addresses the twelve tribes scattered among the nations, meaning Jewish Christians dispersed across the Roman world.
The first instruction is unexpected. Believers should consider it pure joy when they face trials, because the testing of their faith produces perseverance, which must finish its work so that they may be mature and complete. Anyone who lacks wisdom should ask God, who gives generously without finding fault. But the one who asks must believe and not doubt, because a doubter is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
The chapter then turns to riches and poverty. The lowly should take pride in their high position, and the rich in their low position, because the rich will pass away like a wild flower scorched by the sun.
The chapter shifts to temptation. When tempted, no one should say that God is tempting them, because God cannot be tempted by evil and does not tempt anyone. Each person is tempted by their own evil desire, which conceives and gives birth to sin, which when full-grown gives birth to death.
The chapter closes with a series of short instructions. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. They should accept the word planted in them, which can save them. They should not merely listen to the word but do what it says, because anyone who listens without doing is like a person who looks in a mirror and immediately forgets what he looks like. Religion that God accepts is to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Verse 1. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: Greetings.
Verse 2. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
Verse 3. because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Verse 4. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Verse 5. Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
Verse 6. But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
Verse 7. That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
Verse 8. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Verse 9. The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.
Verse 10. But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.
Verse 11. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
Verse 12. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
Verse 13. When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.
Verse 14. But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.
Verse 15. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Verse 16. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Verse 17. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
Verse 18. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.
Verse 19. My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
Verse 20. for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.
Verse 21. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.
Verse 22. Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
Verse 23. For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror,
Verse 24. and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
Verse 25. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.
Verse 26. If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
Verse 27. Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
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