The General Epistle of James

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- Chapter 1 -

(Jude 1:1–2)

James the servant of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

Rejoicing in Trials

(Philippians 1:12–20)

My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers temptations;

Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

And patience hath a perfect work; that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing.

But if any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men abundantly, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, which is moved and carried about by the wind.

Therefore let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

A double minded man is inconstant in all his ways.

But let the brother of low condition glory in his exaltation:

And the rich, in his being low; because as the flower of the grass shall he pass away.

For the sun rose with a burning heat, and parched the grass, and the flower thereof fell off, and the beauty of the shape thereof perished: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been proved, he shall receive a crown of life, which God hath promised to them that love him.

Good and Perfect Gifts

Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. For God is not a tempter of evils, and he tempteth no man.

But every man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured.

Then when concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin. But sin, when it is completed, begetteth death.

Do not err, therefore, my dearest brethren.

Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration.

For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creatures.

Hearing and Doing

You know, my dearest brethren. And let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to anger.

For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God.

Wherefore casting away all uncleanness, and abundance of naughtiness, with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

For if a man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he shall be compared to a man beholding his own countenance in a glass.

For he beheld himself, and went his way, and presently forgot what manner of man he was.

But he that hath looked into the perfect law of liberty, and hath continued therein, not becoming a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work; this man shall be blessed in his deed.

And if any man think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation: and to keep one’s self unspotted from this world.

(Jude 1:1–2)

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,(a) to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.

Rejoicing in Trials

(Philippians 1:12–20)

Count it all joy, my brothers,(b) when you fall into various temptations,

knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

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.

But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed.

For that man shouldn’t think that he will receive anything from the Lord.

He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position;

and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away.

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 the rich man will also fade away in his pursuits.

Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love him.

Good and Perfect Gifts

Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed.

Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin. The sin, when it is full grown, produces death.

Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers.

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.

Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

Hearing and Doing

So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;

for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.

Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.(c)

But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.

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;

for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

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.

If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

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.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 “Christ” means “Anointed One”.

(b)1:2 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”