James 1:13-27 ▼

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, |I am tempted by God,| for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

14 But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

17 All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.

18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 This you know, my beloved brothers. But let every person be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;

20 for human anger does not produce the righteousness of God.

21 Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his natural face in a mirror;

24 for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was.

25 But he who looks into the perfect Law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this person will be blessed in what he does.

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious while he does not control his tongue, but deceives his heart, this one's religion is worthless.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.