1 James, 1:1 Or “Jacob”. Greek “Iakobos” a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Messiah, to the twelve tribes which are in the Diaspora: Greetings.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if 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.
6 But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let that man not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.
8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 But let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position;
10 and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away.
11 For the sun arises with the scorching wind, and withers the grass, and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in his pursuits.
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which he 1:12 Some mss read “the Lord” instead of “he.” Vg reads “God” promised to those who love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.
14 But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.
18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
19 This you know 1:19 Some mss read “So then” instead of “This you know”, my beloved brothers. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;
20 for the anger of man does not accomplish 1:20 Some mss read “produce” instead of “accomplish” the righteousness of God.
21 Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls 1:21 Or, “preserve your life”.
22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror;
24 for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25 But he who looks into the perfect Law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone 1:26 Some mss add “among you” thinks himself to be religious while he does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
1 My brothers, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Messiah of glory with partiality.
2 For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in;
3 and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing, and say 2:3 Some mss add “to him”, “Sit here in a good place;” but you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool;”
4 haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my beloved brothers. Did not God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?
7 Do not they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?
8 However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” 2:8 Leviticus 19:18 you do well.
9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” 2:11 Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18 also said, “Do not commit murder.” 2:11 Exodus 10:13; Deuteronomy 5:17 Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak, and so do, as men who are to be judged by a law of freedom.
13 For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?
15 And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,
16 and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled;” and yet you did not give them the things the body needs, what good is it?
17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.
18 Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
19 You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.
20 But do you want to know, foolish man, that faith apart from works is useless? 2:20 Some mss read “dead” instead of “useless”
21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22 You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected;
23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, And Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness, 2:23 Genesis 15:16 and he was called the friend of God.
24 You see that a man is justified 2:24 Or, declared righteous by works and not by faith alone. 2:24 To the church (v.1) a person that has been justified is revealed by their works
25 In like manner was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
1 Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment.
2 For in many things we all stumble. If anyone does not stumble in word, this one is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.
3 Now if 3:3 Some mss read “Behold” instead of “Now if” we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, we guide their whole body.
4 Behold, the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds, are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires.
5 So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest!
6 And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by hell. 3:6 Greek: “Gehenna”
7 For all kinds of animals, and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures, are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind.
8 But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless 3:8 Some mss read “uncontrollable” instead of “restless” evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With it we bless our Lord 3:9 Some mss read “God” instead of “Lord” and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God.
10 Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
11 Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water?
12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Nor is salt water able to produce sweet 3:12 Some mss read “Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water” instead of “Nor is salt water able to produce sweet” .
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not boast and do not lie against the truth.
15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic.
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, 3:17 Some mss add “and” without hypocrisy.
18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
1 Where do conflicts and quarrels among you come from? Do they not come from your passions that war in your members?
2 You lust, and do not have. You kill, covet, and cannot obtain. You fight and make war. You do not have, because you do not ask.
3 You ask, and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures.
4 You adulteresses 4:4 Some mss add “and adulterers”, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit which he made to dwell 4:5 Some mss read “who dwells” instead of “which He made to dwell” in us yearns jealously”?
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 4:6 Proverbs 3:34
7 Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.
11 Do not speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother or 4:11 Some mss read “and” instead of “or” judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 Only one is the lawgiver and judge, 4:12 Some mss omit“and judge” who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor 4:12 Some mss read “another” instead of “your neighbor”?
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow let us go into this city, and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit.”
14 Whereas you do not know what tomorrow will be like. What is your life? For you are 4:14 Some mss read “it will be” instead of “you are” a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
15 For you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that.”
16 But now you glory in your boasting. All such boasting is evil.
17 To him therefore who knows to do good, and does not do it, to him it is sin.
1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming on you.
2 Your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten.
3 Your gold and your silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be for a testimony against you, and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up your treasure in the last days.
4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of those who reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts 5:4 Greek: Sabaoth (for Hebrew: Tze’va’ot).
5 You have lived delicately on the earth, and taken your pleasure. You have nourished your hearts 5:5 Some mss add “as” in a day of slaughter.
6 You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous one. He does not resist you.
7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receives the early and late rain.
8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
9 Do not grumble, brothers, against one another, so that you won’t be judged. 5:9 Some mss read “condemned” instead of “judged” Behold, the judge stands at the door.
10 Take, 5:11 Some mss add “my” brothers, for an example of suffering and of patience, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 Behold, we call them blessed who endured. You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the Lord in the outcome, and how the Lord 5:11 Some mss omit “the Lord” in the second instance is full of compassion and mercy.
12 But above all things, my brothers, do not swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath; but let your “yes” be “yes,” and your “no,” “no;” so that you do not fall under judgment. 5:12 Some mss read “into hypocrisy” instead of “under judgment”
13 Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praises.
14 Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,
15 and the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Therefore 5:16 Some mss omit “Therefore” confess your sins 5:16 Some mss read “transgressions” instead of “sins” to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous person is powerfully effective.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.
18 He prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit.
19 My 5:19 Some mss omit “My” brothers, if any among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,
20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his 5:20 Some mss read “a” instead of “his” soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.