James 1

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings.	1 James, servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes of the dispersion, greetings.
2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,	2 My brothers, when you have fallen into various trials, consider everything a joy,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.	3 knowing that the proving of your faith exercises patience,
4 And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.	4 and patience brings a work to perfection, so that you may be perfect and whole, deficient in nothing.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it.	5 But if anyone among you is in need of wisdom, let him petition God, who gives abundantly to all without reproach, and it shall be given to him.
6 But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind.	6 But he should ask with faith, doubting nothing. For he who doubts is like a wave on the ocean, which is moved about by the wind and carried away;
7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,	7 then a man should not consider that he would receive anything from the Lord.
8 since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.	8 For a man who is of two minds is inconstant in all his ways.
9 The brother in lowly circumstances should take pride in his high standing,	9 Now a humble brother should glory in his exaltation,
10 and the rich one in his lowliness, for he will pass away "like the flower of the field."	10 and a rich one, in his humiliation, for he will pass away like the flower of the grass.
11 For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass, its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes. So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits.	11 For the sun has risen with a scorching heat, and has dried the grass, and its flower has fallen off, and the appearance of its beauty has perished. So also will the rich one wither away, according to his paths.
12 Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him.	12 Blessed is the man who suffers temptation. For when he has been proven, he shall receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.
13 No one experiencing temptation should say, "I am being tempted by God"; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one.	13 No one should say, when he is tempted, that he was tempted by God. For God does not entice toward evils, and he himself tempts no one.
14 Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.	14 Yet truly, each one is tempted by his own desires, having been enticed and drawn away.
15 Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.	15 Thereafter, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. Yet truly sin, when it has been consummated, produces death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers:	16 And so, do not choose to go astray, my most beloved brothers.
17 all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.	17 Every excellent gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor any shadow of alteration.
18 He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.	18 For by his own will he produced us through the Word of truth, so that we might be a kind of beginning among his creatures.
19 Know this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath,	19 You know this, my most beloved brothers. So let every man be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to anger.
20 for the wrath of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.	20 For the anger of man does not accomplish the justice of God.
21 Therefore, put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.	21 Because of this, having cast away all uncleanness and an abundance of malice, receive with meekness the newly-grafted Word, which is able to save your souls.
22 Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.	22 So be doers of the Word, and not listeners only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror.	23 For if anyone is a listener of the Word, but not also a doer, he is comparable to a man gazing into a mirror upon the face that he was born with;
24 He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like.	24 and after considering himself, he went away and promptly forgot what he had seen.
25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does.	25 But he who gazes upon the perfect law of liberty, and who remains in it, is not a forgetful hearer, but instead a doer of the work. He shall be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain.	26 But if anyone considers himself to be religious, but he does not restrain his tongue, but instead seduces his own heart: such a one’s religion is vanity.
27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.	27 This is religion, clean and undefiled before God the Father: to visit orphans and widows in their tribulations, and to keep yourself immaculate, apart from this age.