James 1

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 James the servant of God, and of our 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 you shall fall into divers temptations;	2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,
3 Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience.	3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
4 And patience hath a perfect work; that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing.	4 And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men abundantly, 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, which is moved and carried about by 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 Therefore 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 inconstant in all his ways.	8 since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.
9 But let the brother of low condition glory in his exaltation:	9 The brother in lowly circumstances should take pride in his high standing,
10 And the rich, in his being low; because as the flower of the grass shall he 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 rose with a burning heat, and parched the grass, and the flower thereof fell off, and the beauty of the shape thereof perished: 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 hath been proved, he shall receive a crown of life, which God 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, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. For God is not a tempter of evils, and he tempteth no 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 by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured.	14 Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
15 Then when concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin. But sin, when it is completed, begetteth death.	15 Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.
16 Do not err, therefore, my dearest brethren.	16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers:
17 Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration.	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 For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning 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 You know, my dearest brethren. And let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to anger.	19 Know this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath,
20 For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God.	20 for the wrath of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore casting away all uncleanness, and abundance of naughtiness, with meekness receive the ingrafted 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 a man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he shall be compared to a man beholding his own countenance 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 beheld himself, and went his way, and presently forgot what manner of man he was.	24 He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like.
25 But he that hath looked into the perfect law of liberty, and hath continued therein, not becoming 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 And if any man think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving 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 Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation: and to keep one's self unspotted from this 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.