| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings. | 1From James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings! |
| 2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, | 2My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, |
| 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. | 3because you know 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 effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything. |
| 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 anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, 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 doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind. |
| 7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; | 7For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, |
| 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. | 8since he is a double-minded individual, unstable in all his ways. |
| 9Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, | 9Now the believer of humble means should take pride in his high position. |
| 10but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. | 10But the rich person's pride should be in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a wildflower in the meadow. |
| 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 its heat and dries up the meadow; the petal of the flower falls off and its beauty is lost forever. So also the rich person in the midst of his pursuits will wither 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. | 12Happy is the one who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God 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 tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. |
| 14But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. | 14But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. |
| 15Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. | 15Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death. |
| 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. | 16Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters. |
| 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. | 17All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change. |
| 18Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. | 18By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. |
| 19So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; | 19Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. |
| 20for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. | 20For human anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. |
| 21Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. | 21So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls. |
| 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | 22But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. |
| 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 someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone who gazes at his own face in a mirror. |
| 24for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. | 24For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort 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 the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out--he 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 someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile. |
| 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 before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world. |
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