1James,a a servant of Godb and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribesc scatteredd among the nations:
Greetings.e
Trials and Temptations
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,1 whenever you face trials of many kinds,f 3because you know that the testing of your faithg produces perseverance.h 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be maturei and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,j who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.k 6But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt,l because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8Such a person is double-mindedm and unstablen in all they do.
9Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.o 10But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.p 11For the sun rises with scorching heatq and withersr the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed.s In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12Blessed is the one who perseveres under trialt because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of lifeu that the Lord has promised to those who love him.v
13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their ownw evil desire and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;x and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.y
16Don’t be deceived,z my dear brothers and sisters.a 17Every good and perfect gift is from above,b coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,c who does not changed like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birthe through the word of truth,f that we might be a kind of firstfruitsg of all he created.
Listening and Doing
19My dear brothers and sisters,h take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speaki and slow to become angry, 20because human angerj does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid ofk all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you,l which can save you.
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.m 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom,n and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.o
26Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tonguesp deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look afterq orphans and widowsr in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.s
Favoritism Forbidden
1My brothers and sisters, believers in our gloriousa Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.b 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judgesc with evil thoughts? Photo Photo
5Listen, my dear brothers and sisters:d Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the worlde to be rich in faithf and to inherit the kingdomg he promised those who love him?h 6But you have dishonored the poor.i Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?j 7Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”1k you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism,l you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.m 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumblesn at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.o 11For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”2p also said, “You shall not murder.”3q If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12Speak and act as those who are going to be judgedr by the law that gives freedom,s 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.t Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith and Deeds
14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?u Can such faith save them? 15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.v 16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?w 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.x
18But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds,y and I will show you my faithz by my deeds.a 19You believe that there is one God.b Good! Even the demons believe thatc—and shudder.
20You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless4?d 21Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?e 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together,f and his faith was made complete by what he did.g 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”5h and he was called God’s friend.i 24You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?j 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.k
Taming the Tongue
1Not many of you should become teachers,a my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judgedb more strictly.c 2We all stumbled in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they saye is perfect,f able to keep their whole body in check.g
3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.h 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.i Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire,j a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body,k sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.l
7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.m
9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.n 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?o Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Two Kinds of Wisdom
13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show itp by their good life, by deedsq done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambitionr in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.s 15Such “wisdom” does not come down from heavent but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.u 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition,v there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17But the wisdom that comes from heavenw is first of all pure; then peace-loving,x considerate, submissive, full of mercyy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.z 18Peacemakersa who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.b
Submit Yourselves to God
1What causes fights and quarrelsa among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battleb within you? 2You desire but do not have, so you kill.c You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive,d because you ask with wrong motives,e that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4You adulterousf people,1 don’t you know that friendship with the worldg means enmity against God?h Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.i 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us2?j 6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,l and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you.m Wash your hands,n you sinners, and purify your hearts,o you double-minded.p 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.q 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.r
11Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.s Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister4 or judges themt speaks against the lawu and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it,v but sitting in judgment on it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge,w the one who is able to save and destroy.x But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?y
Boasting About Tomorrow
13Now listen,z you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”a 14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.b 15Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will,c we will live and do this or that.” 16As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.d 17If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.e
Warning to Rich Oppressors
1Now listen,a you rich people,b weep and wailc because of the misery that is coming on you. 2Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.d 3Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.e 4Look! The wages you failed to pay the workersf who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The criesg of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.h 5You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselvesi in the day of slaughter.1j 6You have condemned and murderedk the innocent one,l who was not opposing you.
Patience in Suffering
7Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming.m See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waitingn for the autumn and spring rains.o 8You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s comingp is near.q 9Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters,r or you will be judged. The Judges is standing at the door!t
10Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophetsu who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11As you know, we count as blessedv those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverancew and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.x The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.y
12Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.z
The Prayer of Faith
13Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.a Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.b 14Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the eldersc of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oild in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faithe will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sinsf to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.g The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.h
17Elijah was a human being, even as we are.i He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.j 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.k
19My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truthl and someone should bring that person back,m 20remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will saven them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.o