The General Epistle of James

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- Chapter 1 -

(Jude 1:1–2)

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion: greetings.

Rejoicing in Trials

(Philippians 1:12–20)

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you experience various troubles.

You know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Let endurance complete its work, so that you may become fully developed and complete, not lacking anything.

But if any of you needs wisdom, let him ask for it from God, the one who gives generously and without rebuke to all who ask, and he will give it to him.

But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing. For anyone who doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven by the wind and tossed around.

For that person must not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.

Such a person is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.

Let the poor brother boast of his high position,

but the rich man of his low position, because he will pass away as a wild flower in the grass.

For the sun rises with burning heat and dries up the grass. The flower falls off, and its beauty perishes. In the same way, the rich man will fade away in the middle of his journey.

Blessed is the man who endures testing. For after he has passed the test, he will receive the crown of life, which has been promised to those who love God.

Good and Perfect Gifts

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” because God is not tempted by evil, nor does he himself tempt anyone.

But each person is tempted by his own desire, which drags him away and entices him.

Then after the desire conceives, it gives birth to sin. And after the sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. It comes down from the Father of lights. With him there is no changing or shadow because of turning.

God chose to give us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all the things that he created.

Hearing and Doing

You know this, my beloved brothers: Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

For the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.

Therefore, take off all sinful filth and abundant amounts of evil. In humility receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

Be doers of the word and not only hearers, deceiving yourselves.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word but not a doer, he is like a man who examines his natural face in a mirror.

He examines himself and then goes away and immediately forgets what he was like.

But the person who looks carefully into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so, not just being a hearer who forgets, this man will be blessed in his actions.

If anyone thinks himself to be religious, but if he does not control his tongue, he deceives his heart, and his religion is worthless.

Clean and spotless religion before our God and Father is this: to help the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself spotless from the 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.”