v1
James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion. Greetings!
v2
Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you encounter various trials,
v3
because you ^[Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal] know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
v4
And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.
v5
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask for it from God, who gives to all without reservation and not reproaching, and it will be given to him.
v6
But let him ask for it in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed about.
v7
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
v8
he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
v9
Now let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his high position,
v10
but the rich person in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a flower of the grass.
v11
For the sun rises with its burning heat and dries up the grass, and its flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance is lost. So also the rich person in his pursuits ^[Or “on his (business) journeys”; or “in his ways”] will wither away.
v12
Blessed is the person ^[Literally “the man,” but clearly in a generic sense here meaning “someone, a person”] who endures testing, because when he ^[Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is”) which is understood as temporal] is approved he will receive the crown of life that he ^[Most manuscripts read “the Lord” here, while others read “God”] has promised to those who love him.
v13
No one who is being tempted should say, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted ^[Literally “is without temptation”] by evil, and he himself tempts no one.
v14
But each one is tempted when he ^[Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is dragged away”) which is understood as temporal] is dragged away and enticed by his own desires.
v15
Then desire, after it ^[Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“has conceived”) which is understood as temporal] has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it ^[Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is brought to completion”) which is understood as temporal] is brought to completion, gives birth to death.
v16
Do not be deceived, my dear brothers.
v17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of change.
v18
By his ^[Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“will”) which is understood as means] will he gave birth to us through the message of truth, so that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
v19
Understand this, my dear brothers: every person must be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
v20
for human ^[Literally “man’s”] anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God.
v21
Therefore, putting aside all moral uncleanness and wicked excess, welcome ^[Or “receive”] with humility the implanted message which is able to save your souls.
v22
But be doers of the message and not hearers only, ^[Some manuscripts have “not only hearers”] deceiving yourselves,
v23
because if anyone is a hearer of the message and not a doer, this one is like someone ^[Literally “a man,” but clearly in a generic sense here meaning “someone, a person”] staring at his own face ^[Literally “the face of his existence”] in a mirror,
v24
for he looks at himself and goes away and immediately forgets what sort of person he was.
v25
But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues to do it, not being a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts, this one will be blessed in what he does ^[Literally “in his doing”].
v26
If anyone thinks he is religious, although he ^[Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“bridle”) which is understood as concessive] does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.
v27
Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our ^[Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun] God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.