James 1

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.	1 James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;	2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.	3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.	4 And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.	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 let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.	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 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.	7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.	8 since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:	9 The brother in lowly circumstances should take pride in his high standing,
10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.	10 and the rich one in his lowliness, for he will pass away "like the flower of the field."
11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.	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 the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that 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 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:	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 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.	14 Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.	15 Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.	16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers:
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.	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 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.	18 He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:	19 Know this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath,
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.	20 for the wrath of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to 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 be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.	22 Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:	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 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.	24 He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.	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 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.	26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from 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.