| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. | 1James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: To the 12 tribes in the Dispersion. Greetings. |
| 2Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, | 2Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, |
| 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. | 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. |
| 4And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. | 4But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. |
| 5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. | 5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. |
| 6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. | 6But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. |
| 7For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; | 7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. |
| 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. | 8An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways. |
| 9Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, | 9The brother of humble circumstances should boast in his exaltation, |
| 10and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. | 10but the one who is rich should boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field. |
| 11For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. | 11For the sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will wither away while pursuing his activities. |
| 12Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. | 12A man who endures trials is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. |
| 13Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. | 13No one undergoing a trial should say, "I am being tempted by God." For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn't tempt anyone. |
| 14But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. | 14But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. |
| 15Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. | 15Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death. |
| 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. | 16Don't be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. |
| 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. | 17Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. |
| 18Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. | 18By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures. |
| 19Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; | 19My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, |
| 20for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. | 20for man's anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. |
| 21Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. | 21Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and evil, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save you. |
| 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | 22But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. |
| 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. | 23Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror. |
| 24For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. | 24For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. |
| 25But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. | 25But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works--this person will be blessed in what he does. |
| 26If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. | 26If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, then his religion is useless and he deceives himself. |
| 27Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. | 27Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world. |
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