| International Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1From: James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. To: The twelve tribes in the Dispersion. Greetings. | 1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. |
| 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you are involved in various trials, | 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, |
| 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. | 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. |
| 4But you must let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. | 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. |
| 5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to everyone generously without a rebuke, and it will be given to him. | 5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. |
| 6But he must ask in faith, without any doubts, for the one who has doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. | 6But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. |
| 7Such a person should not expect to 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 he undertakes. | 8Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. |
| 9A brother of humble means should rejoice in his having been exalted, | 9Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. |
| 10and a rich person in his having been humbled, because he will fade away like a wild flower. | 10But the rich should take pride in their humiliation--since they will pass away like a wild flower. |
| 11For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass. The flower in it drops off, and its beauty is gone. That is how the rich person will fade away in his pursuits. | 11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. |
| 12How blessed is the man who endures temptation! When he has passed the test, he will receive the victor's crown of life that God has promised to those who keep on loving him. | 12Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. |
| 13When someone is tempted, he should not say, "I am being tempted by God," because God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone. | 13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; |
| 14Instead, each person is tempted by his own desire, being lured and trapped by it. | 14but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. |
| 15When that desire becomes pregnant, it gives birth to sin; and when that sin grows up, it gives birth to death. | 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. |
| 16Do not be deceived, my dear brothers. | 16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. |
| 17Every generous act of giving and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father who made the heavenly lights, in whom there is no inconsistency or shifting shadow. | 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. |
| 18In accordance with his will he made us his children by the word of truth, so that we might become the most important of his creatures. | 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. |
| 19You must understand this, my dear brothers. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. | 19My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, |
| 20For human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. | 20because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. |
| 21Therefore, rid yourselves of everything impure and every expression of wickedness, and with a gentle spirit welcome the word planted in you that can save your souls. | 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. |
| 22Keep on being obedient to the word, and not merely being hearers who deceive themselves. | 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. |
| 23For if anyone hears the word but is not obedient to it, he is like a man who looks at himself in a mirror | 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 studies himself carefully, and then goes off and immediately forgets what he looks like. | 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. |
| 25But the one who looks at the perfect law of freedom and remains committed to it—thereby demonstrating that he is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of what that law requires—will be blessed in what he does. | 25But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it--not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it--they will be blessed in what they do. |
| 26If anyone thinks that he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, but instead deceives himself, his religion is worthless. | 26Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. |
| 27A religion that is pure and stainless according to God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. | 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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