1 From James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Diaspora, greetings.
2 My brothers, consider it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience,
4 and let patience have a perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, not lacking anything.
5 But if anyone among you lacks wisdom, let him ask from God who gives generously to all, and not begrudgingly, and it will be given to him.
6 And let him ask in faith, not doubting in any way, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed about.
7 For let that man not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.
8 A man in two minds is unstable in all his ways.
9 And let a lowly brother boast in his high position,
10 but a rich one in his low position, because he will pass away like a herbaceous flower.
11 For the sun rises with burning heat, and dries up the vegetation and its flower withers, and the comeliness of its appearance is lost. In this way the rich man will also fade in his pursuits.
12 Blessed is the man who endures a trial, because if he is approved he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him.
13 Let no-one who is being tempted say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God is incapable of being tempted by things that are wrong, and he does not tempt anyone,
14 but everyone is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desire, and is enticed,
15 then when desire has conceived, it bears sin, and sin, when it has been brought to full maturity, engenders death.
16 Do not go astray, my beloved brothers.
17 Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of change.
18 Having willed it, he brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we should be a kind of firstfruit of his creatures.
19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
20 for man's anger does not accomplish God's righteousness.
21 On account of which, set aside all sordidness and remains of wickedness, and accept with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your lives.
22 And become doers of the word and not just hearers, deluding yourselves.
23 For if a person is a hearer of the word but not a doer, he is like a man who takes note in a mirror of the face he is endowed with,
24 for he takes note of himself and goes off, and immediately forgets what kind of a person he is.
25 But he who surveys the completed law of freedom, and stands his ground, such a person is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of work; blessed he will be when he does it.
26 If any man among you considers himself to be religious but cannot bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, his religious observance is in vain.
27 Pure and undefiled religious observance with God and the father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction, to keep oneself untainted by the world.