James 1

₁From James, a servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Greetings to the twelve tribes scattered all over the world.

₂My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. ₃You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. ₄But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.

₅If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won't correct you for asking. ₆But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. _7-8If you are that kind of person, you can't make up your mind, and you can't be trusted. So don't expect the Lord to give you anything at all.

₉Any of God's people who are poor should be glad that he thinks so highly of them. ₁₀But any who are rich should be glad when God makes them humble. Rich people will disappear like wild flowers ₁₁scorched by the burning heat of the sun. The flowers lose their blossoms, and their beauty is destroyed. That is how the rich will disappear, as they go about their business.

₁₂God will bless you, if you don't give up when your faith is being tested. He will reward you with a glorious life, just as he rewards everyone who loves him.

₁₃Don't blame God when you are tempted! God cannot be tempted by evil, and he doesn't use evil to tempt others. ₁₄We are tempted by our own desires that drag us off and trap us. ₁₅Our desires make us sin, and when sin is finished with us, it leaves us dead.

₁₆Don't be fooled, my dear friends. ₁₇Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing. ₁₈He wanted us to be his own special people, and so he sent the true message to give us new birth.

₁₉My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. ₂₀If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things that God wants done. ₂₁You must stop doing anything immoral or evil. Instead be humble and accept the message that is planted in you to save you.

₂₂Obey God's message! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it. ₂₃If you hear the message and don't obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror ₂₄and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. ₂₅But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don't just hear and forget.

₂₆If you think you are being religious, but can't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and everything you do is useless. ₂₇Religion that pleases God the Father must be pure and spotless. You must help needy orphans and widows and not let this world make you evil.