1
This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings!
2
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
3
For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
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So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
5
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
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But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.
7
Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8
Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.