James 1 Parallel Bible Translations

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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! James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
6 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. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; That person 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. he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
9 Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.
10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.
11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.
15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.
17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror
24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
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