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 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.

^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 brethren, 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 man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a ^1adouble-minded man, ^bunstable in all his ways.

9 ^aBut the ¹brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because ^alike ¹flowering grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with ^1aa scorching wind and ^bwithers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.

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 Let no one 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 when ^bsin ¹is accomplished, it brings forth death. 16 ^aDo not be ¹deceived, ^bmy beloved brethren. 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 ^bbrought us forth by ^cthe word of truth, so that we would be ¹a kind of ^dfirst fruits ²among His creatures.

19 ¹This ^ayou know, ^bmy beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, ^cslow to speak and ^dslow to anger; 20 for ^athe anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, ^aputting aside 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 merely hearers who delude 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 looks intently at the perfect law, ^athe law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but ¹an effectual doer, this man will be ^bblessed in ²what he does.

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not ^1abridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’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.