James 1
Testing Your Faith
aJames, a bslave of God and cof the Lord Jesus Christ,
To dthe twelve tribes who are in the eDispersion: fGreetings.
2 aConsider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter bvarious trials, 3 knowing that athe testing of your bfaith brings about cperseverance. 4 And let aperseverance have its perfect work, so that you may be bperfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you alacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and bit will be given to him. 6 But he must aask in faith, bdoubting nothing, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, cdriven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a adouble-minded man, bunstable in all his ways.
9 aBut the brother of humble circumstances is to boast in his high position; 10 and the rich man is to boast in his humiliation, because alike flowering grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with aa scorching heat and bwithers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.
12 aBlessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive bthe crown of life which the Lord chas promised to those who dlove Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “aI am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then awhen lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when bsin is fully matured, it brings forth death. 16 aDo not be deceived, bmy beloved brothers. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is afrom above, coming down from bthe Father of lights, cwith whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of aHis will He bbrought us forth by cthe word of truth, so that we would be a kind of dfirst fruits among His creatures.
Doers of the Word
19 aKnow this, bmy beloved brothers. But everyone must be quick to hear, cslow to speak and dslow to anger; 20 for athe anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, alaying aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in gentleness receive bthe implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 aBut become doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face ain a mirror; 24 for once he looked at himself and has gone away, he immediately forgot what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, athe law of freedom, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man will be bblessed in what he does.
26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious while not abridling his tongue but deceiving his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion abefore our God and Father is this: to bvisit corphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by dthe world.
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