^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.