1James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the Twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings!
Enduring trials and temptations
2Consider it as all joy, my brethren, when you fall into various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4Let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be perfect and whole, lacking in nothing. 5Yet if any of you lacks wisdom, let such a one ask of God who gives to all abundantly and without finding fault; and it will be given to him. 6But ask in faith, without any doubting, for whoever doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. 7Such a person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8This is being double-minded, unstable in every way.
9Let the brethren of humble circumstances glory in their high position. 10But the rich should rejoice in being made humble, because like the flower in the grass, they will pass away. 11Indeed, the sun arises with the scorching wind and withers the grass; its flower falls and the beauty of its appearance perishes. Likewise, the rich shall fade away in their pursuits.
12Blessed is the one who endures temptation because after being approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love him. 13When temptations come, let no one say, “I am tempted by God,” because God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. 14But a person is tempted when drawn away and enticed by his own lust. 15Then the lust, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, results in death. 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren! 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there can be no variation or shifting shadow. 18He brought us forth of his own will by the word of truth, so that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
Doers of the word
19So then, my beloved brethren: be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger!2246 20Anger does not produce the righteousness of God. 21Therefore, putting away all [moral] impurity and overflow of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word which is able to save your souls.2247 22Be doers of the word, not only hearers who delude themselves! 23Certainly, if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, such a person is like someone looking at his natural face in a mirror. 24Seeing himself and going away, he immediately forgets what kind of person he was. 25But whoever looks into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres [in it], not being a hearer who forgets but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in doing so.
26If anyone among you considers himself to be religious2248 but does not bridle his tongue, such a one deceives his heart and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that is pure and undefiled in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their afflictions and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Partiality and judgment
- The 1611 Authorized Version associates Sirach 5:11 with James 1:19 in a marginal note.
- Or “preserve your life”
- Or “devout/pious”
Text: The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible, New Testament (EOB). Used with permission.
