James 1:1-14 ▼

1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: to the twelve tribes who are scattered over the world. All good wishes.

2 Reckon it nothing but joy, my brethren, whenever you find yourselves hedged in by various trials.

3 Be assured that the testing of your faith leads to power of endurance.

4 Only let endurance have perfect results so that you may become perfect and complete, deficient in nothing.

5 And if any one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives with open hand to all men, and without upbraiding; and it will be given him.

6 But let him ask in faith and have no doubts; for he who has doubts is like the surge of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed into spray.

7 A person of that sort must not expect to receive anything from the Lord--

8 such a one is a man of two minds, undecided in every step he takes.

9 Let a brother in humble life rejoice when raised to a higher position;

10 but a rich man should rejoice in being brought low, for like flowers among the herbage rich men will pass away.

11 The sun rises with his scorching heat and dries up the herbage, so that its flowers drop off and the beauty of its appearance perishes, and in the same way rich men with all their prosperity will fade away.

12 Blessed is he who patiently endures trials; for when he has stood the test, he will gain the victor's crown--even the crown of Life--which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

13 Let no one say when passing through trial, "My temptation is from God;" for God is incapable of being tempted to do evil, and He Himself tempts no one.

14 But when a man is tempted, it is his own passions that carry him away and serve as a bait.