1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are in the dispersion: Greetings!

2Count [it] all joy, my brothers, when you may fall into manifold temptations, 3knowing that the proof of your faith works endurance, 4and let the endurance have a perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5And if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from God, who is giving to all generously, and not reproaching, and it will be given to him; 6but let him ask in faith, doubting nothing, for he who is doubting has been like a wave of the sea, driven by wind and tossed; 7for do not let that man suppose that he will receive anything from the LORD— 8a soul-split man [is] unstable in all his ways.

9And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation, 10but the rich in his becoming low, because he will pass away as a flower of grass; 11for the sun rose with the burning heat, and withered the grass, and the flower of it fell, and the beauty of its appearance perished, so also the rich in his way will fade away!

12Blessed [is] the man who endures temptation, because, becoming approved, he will receive the garland of life, which the LORD promised to those loving Him.

13Let no one who is being tempted say, “I am tempted from God,” for God is not tempted by evils, and Himself tempts no one, 14but each one is tempted, being led away and enticed by his own desires; 15afterward the desire having conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin having been perfected, brings forth death. 16Do not be led astray, my beloved brothers. 17Every good giving, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of turning; 18having willed [it], He begot us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit of His creatures.

19So then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, 20for the wrath of a man does not work the righteousness of God; 21for this reason, having put aside all filthiness and superabundance of evil, receive the implanted word in meekness, that is able to save your souls; 22and become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves, 23because, if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one has been like to a man viewing his natural face in a mirror, 24for he viewed himself, and has gone away, and immediately he forgot what kind of [man] he was; 25but he who looked into [the] perfect law—that of liberty, and continued there, not becoming a forgetful hearer, but a doer of work—this one will be blessed in his doing.

26If anyone thinks to be religious among you, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, the religion of this one [is] vain; 27religion pure and undefiled with the God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation—to keep himself unspotted from the world.