King James Version KJV
New Revised Standard NRS
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
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James, a servant 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;
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My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy,
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
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because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance;
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
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and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature 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.
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If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.
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.
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But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind;
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
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8 for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
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9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
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Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up,
10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
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and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in 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.
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For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.
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.
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Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has 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:
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No one, when tempted, should say, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one.
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
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But one is tempted by one's own desire, being lured and enticed by it;
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
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then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
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Do not be deceived, my beloved.
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.
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Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to 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.
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In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
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You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
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for your anger does not produce God's righteousness.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
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Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
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But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
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:
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For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror;
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
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for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were 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.
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But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.
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.
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If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.
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.
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Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.