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1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
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2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
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3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
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4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
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5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
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6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
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7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
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8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
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9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
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10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
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11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
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12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
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13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
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14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
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15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
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16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
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17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
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18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
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19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
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20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
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21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
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22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
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23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
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24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
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25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
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26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
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27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
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- 1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
- 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
- 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
- 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
- 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
- 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
- 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
- 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
- 9 But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;
- 10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.
- 11 For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.
- 12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord 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 by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
- 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.
- 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
- 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
- 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
- 18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.
- 19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;
- 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
- 21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.
- 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
- 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
- 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
- 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
- 26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless.
- 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
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