James 1

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 From James, servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Greetings to the twelve tribes of theDispersion.	1 James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings.
2 My brothers, consider it a great joy when trials of many kinds come upon you,	2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,
3 for you wel know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance, and	3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
4 perseverance must complete its work so that you wil become ful y developed, complete, not deficient inany way.	4 And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 Any of you who lacks wisdom must ask God, who gives to al generously and without scolding; it wil begiven.	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.
6 But the prayer must be made with faith, and no trace of doubt, because a person who has doubts is likethe waves thrown up in the sea by the buffeting of the wind.	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.
7 That sort of person, in two minds,	7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 inconsistent in every activity, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.	8 since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.
9 It is right that the brother in humble circumstances should glory in being lifted up,	9 The brother in lowly circumstances should take pride in his high standing,
10 and the rich in being brought low. For the rich wil last no longer than the wild flower;	10 and the rich one in his lowliness, for he will pass away "like the flower of the field."
11 the scorching sun comes up, and the grass withers, its flower falls, its beauty is lost. It is the samewith the rich: in the middle of a busy life, the rich wil wither.	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.
12 Blessed is anyone who perseveres when trials come. Such a person is of proven worth and will winthe prize of life, the crown that the Lord has promised to those who love him.	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.
13 Never, when you are being put to the test, say, 'God is tempting me'; God cannot be tempted by evil,and he does not put anybody to the test .	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.
14 Everyone is put to the test by being attracted and seduced by that person's own wrong desire.	14 Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
15 Then the desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and when sin reaches ful growth, it gives birth todeath.	15 Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.
16 Make no mistake about this, my dear brothers:	16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers:
17 al that is good, al that is perfect, is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of al light;with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow caused by change.	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.
18 By his own choice he gave birth to us by the message of the truth so that we should be a sort of first-fruits of all his creation.	18 He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19 Remember this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to listen but slow to speak and slow tohuman anger;	19 Know this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath,
20 God's saving justice is never served by human anger;	20 for the wrath of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.
21 so do away with al impurities and remnants of evil. Humbly welcome the Word which has beenplanted in you and can save your souls.	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.
22 But you must do what the Word tel s you and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves.	22 Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.
23 Anyone who listens to the Word and takes no action is like someone who looks at his own features ina mirror and,	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.
24 once he has seen what he looks like, goes off and immediately forgets it.	24 He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like.
25 But anyone who looks steadily at the perfect law of freedom and keeps to it -- not listening andforgetting, but putting it into practice -- will be blessed in every undertaking.	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.
26 Nobody who fails to keep a tight rein on the tongue can claim to be religious; this is mere self-deception; that person's religion is worthless.	26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain.
27 Pure, unspoilt religion, in the eyes of God our Father, is this: coming to the help of orphans andwidows in their hardships, and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world.	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.