| New King James Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings. | 1James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings. |
| 2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, | 2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, |
| 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. | 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. |
| 4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. | 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. |
| 5If 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. | 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. |
| 6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. | 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. |
| 7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; | 7For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, |
| 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. | 8being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. |
| 9Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, | 9But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; |
| 10but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. | 10and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. |
| 11For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits. | 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. |
| 12Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. | 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. |
| 13Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. | 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. |
| 14But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. | 14But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. |
| 15Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. | 15Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. |
| 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. | 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. |
| 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. | 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. |
| 18Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. | 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. |
| 19So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; | 19This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; |
| 20for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. | 20for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. |
| 21Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. | 21Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. |
| 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | 22But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. |
| 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; | 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; |
| 24for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. | 24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. |
| 25But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. | 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. |
| 26If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. | 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. |
| 27Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. | 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. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | 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 |
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