James 1
Greeting
1 a James, a servant ▼
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Or slave (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)
of God and c of the Lord Jesus Christ, To d the twelve tribes in e the Dispersion: Greetings. Testing of Your Faith
2 f Count it all joy, my brothers ▼
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Or brothers and sisters. The plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) refers to siblings in a family. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, adelphoi may refer either to men or to both men and women who are siblings (brothers and sisters) in God’s family, the church; also verses 16, 19
when you meet trials h of various kinds, 3 for you know that i the testing of your faith j produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be k perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 l If any of you lacks wisdom m let him ask God n who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But o let him ask in faith p with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like q a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 r he is a double-minded man s unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and t the rich in his humiliation, because u like a flower of the grass
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Or a wild flower
he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and w withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 12 x Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive y the crown of life z which God has promised to those who love him. 13 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. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire aa when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and ab sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 ac Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from ad the Father of lights ae with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
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Some manuscripts variation due to a shadow of turning
18 ag Of his own will he ah brought us forth by the word of truth ai that we should be a kind of aj firstfruits of his creatures. Hearing and Doing the Word
19 ak Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person al be quick to hear am slow to speak an slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore ao put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with ap meekness the implanted word aq which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ar doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 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. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law as the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts at he will be blessed in his doing. 26 If anyone thinks he is religious au and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s av religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: aw to visit ax orphans and widows in their affliction, and ay to keep oneself az unstained from the world.
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