Santiago^1a, siervo de Dios^b y del Señor Jesucristo^c:

A las doce tribus^d que están en la dispersión^2e: Saludos^f.

2 Tened por sumo gozo^a, hermanos míos, el que¹ os halléis en² diversas pruebas^3b, 3 sabiendo que la prueba^a de vuestra fe^b produce paciencia^1c, 4 y que la paciencia^1a tenga su perfecto resultado², para que seáis perfectos^3b y completos, sin que os falte nada.

5 Pero si alguno de vosotros se ve falto de sabiduría^a, que la pida a Dios, el cual da a todos abundantemente y sin reproche¹, y le será dada^b. 6 Pero que pida con fe^a, sin dudar^b; porque el que duda es semejante a la ola del mar, impulsada por el viento y echada de una parte a otra^c. 7 No piense, pues, ese hombre, que recibirá cosa alguna del Señor, 8 siendo hombre de doble ánimo^1a, inestable en todos sus caminos^b.

9 Pero que el hermano de condición humilde se gloríe en su alta posición^a, 10 y el rico en su humillación, pues él pasará como la flor de la hierba^a. 11 Porque el sol sale con calor abrasador^a y seca la hierba^b, y su flor se cae y la hermosura de su apariencia perece; así también se marchitará el rico en medio de sus empresas.

12 Bienaventurado el hombre que persevera^a bajo la prueba, porque una vez que ha sido aprobado¹, recibirá la corona de la vida^b que el Señor ha prometido^c a los que le aman^d. 13 Que nadie diga cuando es tentado: Soy tentado por¹ Dios^a; porque Dios no puede ser tentado por el mal² y Él mismo no tienta a nadie. 14 Sino que cada uno es tentado cuando es llevado y seducido por su propia pasión¹. 15 Después, cuando la pasión¹ ha concebido^a, da a luz el pecado; y cuando el pecado es consumado^b, engendra la muerte. 16 Amados hermanos míos^a, no os engañéis^b. 17 Toda buena dádiva y todo don perfecto viene¹ de lo alto^a, desciende del Padre de las luces^b, con el cual no hay cambio^c ni sombra de variación. 18 En el ejercicio de su voluntad^a, Él nos hizo nacer^b por la palabra de verdad^c, para que fuéramos las¹ primicias de sus criaturas^d.

19 Esto sabéis^1a, mis amados hermanos^b. Pero que cada uno sea pronto para oír, tardo para hablar^c, tardo para la ira^d; 20 pues la ira del hombre no obra la justicia de Dios^a. 21 Por lo cual, desechando toda inmundicia^a y todo resto de malicia¹, recibid con humildad² la palabra implantada^b, que es poderosa para salvar vuestras almas. 22 Sed hacedores de la palabra^a y no solamente oidores que se engañan a sí mismos. 23 Porque si alguno es oidor de la palabra, y no hacedor, es semejante a un hombre que mira su rostro natural¹ en un espejo^a; 24 pues después de mirarse a sí mismo e irse, inmediatamente¹ se olvida de qué clase de persona es. 25 Pero el que mira atentamente¹ a la ley perfecta, la ley de la libertad^a, y permanece en ella, no habiéndose vuelto un oidor olvidadizo sino un hacedor eficaz²,este será bienaventurado en lo que hace^3b. 26 Si alguno se cree religioso, pero no refrena su lengua^a, sino que engaña a su propio corazón, la religión del tal es vana. 27 La religión pura y sin mácula delante de nuestro Dios y Padre^a esesta: visitar^b a los huérfanos^c y a las viudas en sus aflicciones¹, y guardarse sin mancha del mundo^d.

^1aJames, a ^bbond-servant of God and ^cof the Lord Jesus Christ,

To ^dthe twelve Hebrew tribes ^escattered abroad among the Gentiles in the dispersion: ^fGreetings (rejoice) !

2 ^aConsider it nothing but joy, my ¹brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into ^bvarious trials. 3 Be assured that ^athe testing of your ^bfaith through experience produces ^cendurance leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace. 4 And let ^aendurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be ^bperfect and completely developed in your faith, lacking in nothing.

5 If any of you ^alacks wisdom to guide him through a decision or circumstance, he is to ask of our benevolent God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and ^bit will be given to him. 6 But he must ^aask for wisdom in faith, ^bwithout doubting God’s willingness to help, for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is ^cblown about and tossed by the wind. 7 For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything at all from the Lord, 8 being a ^adouble-minded man, ^bunstable and restless in all his ways in everything he thinks, feels, or decides.

9 ^aLet the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position as a born-again believer, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God; 10 and the rich man is to glory in being humbled by trials revealing human frailty, knowing true riches are found in the grace of God, for ^alike the flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with ^aa scorching wind and ^bwithers the grass; its flower falls off and ¹its beauty fades away; so too will the rich man, in the midst of his pursuits, fade away. Is 40:6, 7

12 ^aBlessed happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God is the man who is steadfast under trial and perseveres when tempted; for when he has passed the test and been approved, he will receive ^bthe victor’s crown of life which the Lord ^chas promised to those who ^dlove Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “^aI am being tempted by God” for temptation does not originate from God, but from our own flaws; for God cannot be tempted by what is evil, and He Himself tempts no one. 14 But each one is tempted when he is dragged away, enticed and baited to commit sin by his own worldly desire (lust, passion) . 15 Then ^awhen the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when ^bsin has run its course, it gives birth to death. 16 ^aDo not be misled, ^bmy beloved brothers and sisters. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is ^afrom above; it comes down from ^bthe Father of lights the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens, ^cin whom there is no variation no rising or setting or shadow ¹cast by His turning for He is perfect and never changes. 18 It was of ^aHis own will that He ^bgave us birth as His children by ^cthe word of truth, so that we would be a kind of ^dfirst fruits of His creatures a prime example of what He created to be set apart to Himself—sanctified, made holy for His divine purposes.

19 ^aUnderstand this, ^bmy beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear be a careful, thoughtful listener, ^cslow to speak a speaker of carefully chosen words and, ^dslow to anger patient, reflective, forgiving; 20 for ^athe resentful, deep-seated anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God that standard of behavior which He requires from us. 21 So ^aget rid of all uncleanness and ¹all that remains of wickedness, and with a humble spirit receive ^bthe word of God which is implanted actually rooted in your heart, which is able to save your souls. 22 ^aBut prove yourselves doers of the word actively and continually obeying God’s precepts, and not merely listeners who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning, deluding yourselves by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth. 23 For if anyone only listens to the word ¹without obeying it, he is like a man who looks very carefully at his natural face ^ain a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he immediately forgets ¹what he looked like. 25 But he who looks carefully into the perfect law, ^athe law of liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a careless listener who forgets but ¹an active doer who obeys, he will be ^bblessed and favored by God in what he does in his life of obedience.

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious scrupulously observant of the rituals of his faith, and does not ^acontrol his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless (futile, barren) . 27 Pure and unblemished religion as it is expressed in outward acts ^ain the sight of our God and Father is this: to ^bvisit and look after the ^cfatherless and the widows in their distress, and to keep oneself uncontaminated by ^dthe secular world.

^1aJames, a ^bbond-servant of God and ^cof the Lord Jesus Christ,

To ^dthe twelve tribes who are ^2edispersed abroad: ^fGreetings.

2 ^aConsider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter ^bvarious ¹trials, 3 knowing that ^athe testing of your ^bfaith produces ^1cendurance. 4 And let ^1aendurance have its perfect ²result, so that you may be ^3bperfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5 But if any of you ^alacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and ¹without reproach, and ^bit will be given to him. 6 But he must ^aask in faith ^bwithout any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, ^cdriven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a ^1adouble-minded man, ^bunstable in all his ways.

9 ^aNow the brother or sister of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 10 but the rich person is to glory in his ¹humiliation, because ^alike ²flowering grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with ^aits scorching heat and ^bwithers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so also the rich person, in the midst of his pursuits, will die out.

12 ^aBlessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has ¹been approved, he will receive ^bthe crown of life which the Lord ^chas promised to those who ^dlove Him. 13 No one is to say when he is tempted, “^aI am being tempted ¹by God”; for God cannot be tempted ²by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then ^awhen lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and ^bsin, when it has run its course, brings forth death. 16 ^aDo not be ¹deceived, ^bmy beloved brothers and sisters. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is ^afrom above, coming down from ^bthe Father of lights, ^cwith whom there is no variation or ¹shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of ^aHis will He ^bgave us birth by ^cthe word of truth, so that we would be ¹a kind of ^dfirst fruits ²among His creatures.

19 ^1aYou know this, ^bmy beloved brothers and sisters. Now everyone must be quick to hear, ^cslow to speak, and ^dslow to anger; 20 for a man’s ^aanger does not bring about the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, ^aridding yourselves of all filthiness and all ¹that remains of wickedness, in ²humility receive ^bthe word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 ^aBut prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his ¹natural face ^ain a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, ¹he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, ^athe law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but ¹an active doer, this person will be ^bblessed in ²what he does.

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not ^1abridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion ^ain the sight of our God and Father is this: to ^bvisit ^corphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained ¹by ^dthe world.