James 1
1 Ref James, of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ a servant, to the Twelve Tribes who are in the dispersion: Hail!
2 Ref All joy count `it', my brethren, when ye may fall into temptations manifold;
3 Ref knowing that the proof of your faith doth work endurance,
4 Ref and let the endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire -- in nothing lacking;
5 Ref and if any of you do lack wisdom, let him ask from God, who is giving to all liberally, and not reproaching, and it shall be given to him;
6 Ref and let him ask in faith, nothing doubting, for he who is doubting hath been like a wave of the sea, driven by wind and tossed,
7 Ref for let not that man suppose that he shall receive anything from the Lord --
8 Ref a two-souled man `is' unstable in all his ways.
9 Ref And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation,
10 Ref and the rich in his becoming low, because as a flower of grass he shall pass away;
11 Ref for the sun did rise with the burning heat, and did wither the grass, and the flower of it fell, and the grace of its appearance did perish, so also the rich in his way shall fade away!
12 Ref Happy the man who doth endure temptation, because, becoming approved, he shall receive the crown of the life, which the Lord did promise to those loving Him.
13 Ref Let no one say, being tempted -- `From God I am tempted,' for God is not tempted of evil, and Himself doth tempt no one,
14 Ref and each one is tempted, by his own desires being led away and enticed,
15 Ref afterward the desire having conceived, doth give birth to sin, and the sin having been perfected, doth bring forth death.
16 Ref Be not led astray, my brethren beloved;
17 Ref every good giving, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of turning;
18 Ref having counselled, He did beget us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit of His creatures.
19 Ref So then, my brethren beloved, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
20 Ref for the wrath of a man the righteousness of God doth not work;
21 Ref wherefore having put aside all filthiness and superabundance of evil, in meekness be receiving the engrafted word, that is able to save your souls;
22 Ref and become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,
23 Ref because, if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one hath been like to a man viewing his natural face in a mirror,
24 Ref for he did view himself, and hath gone away, and immediately he did forget of what kind he was;
25 Ref and he who did look into the perfect law -- that of liberty, and did continue there, this one -- not a forgetful hearer becoming, but a doer of work -- this one shall be happy in his doing.
26 Ref If any one doth think to be religious among you, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, of this one vain `is' the religion;
27 Ref religion pure and undefiled with the God and Father is this, to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation -- unspotted to keep himself from the world.