| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New International Version |
| 1James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings. | 1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. |
| 2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, | 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, |
| 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. | 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. |
| 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. | 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. |
| 5But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, 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 doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, 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. |
| 7For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, | 7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. |
| 8being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. | 8Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. |
| 9But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; | 9Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. |
| 10and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. | 10But the rich should take pride in their humiliation--since they will pass away like a wild flower. |
| 11For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers 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. | 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. |
| 12Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love 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. |
| 13Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. | 13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; |
| 14But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. | 14but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. |
| 15Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth 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 beloved brethren. | 16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. |
| 17Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation 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 the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among 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. |
| 19This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; | 19My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, |
| 20for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. | 20because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. |
| 21Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to 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. |
| 22But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. | 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. |
| 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face 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 |
| 24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. | 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. |
| 25But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man 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 himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's 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. |
| 27Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, 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. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | 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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