Chapter 1
A Greeting from James
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James, a servant of God and of [the] Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: Greetings.
Ἰάκωβος δοῦλος Θεοῦ καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ Ταῖς δώδεκα φυλαῖς ταῖς ἐν τῇ Διασπορᾷ Χαίρειν Iakōbos doulos Theou kai Kyriou Iēsou Christou Tais dōdeka phylais tais en tē Diaspora Chairein — NA/TR · 1
Rejoicing in Trials
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Consider [it] pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
ἡγήσασθε Πᾶσαν χαρὰν μου ἀδελφοί ὅταν περιπέσητε πειρασμοῖς ποικίλοις hēgēsasthe Pasan charan mou adelphoi hotan peripesēte peirasmois poikilois — NA/TR · 2
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because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
γινώσκοντες ὅτι τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως κατεργάζεται ὑπομονήν ginōskontes hoti to dokimion hymōn tēs pisteōs katergazetai hypomonēn — NA/TR · 3
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- Allow perseverance to finish [its] work, so that you may be mature and complete, [not] lacking [anything].
δὲ ἐχέτω ἡ ὑπομονὴ τέλειον ἔργον ἵνα ἦτε τέλειοι καὶ ὁλόκληροι λειπόμενοι ἐν μηδενὶ de echetō hē hypomonē teleion ergon hina ēte teleioi kai holoklēroi leipomenoi en mēdeni — NA/TR · 4
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Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask… God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
δέ Εἰ τις ὑμῶν λείπεται σοφίας αἰτείτω παρὰ Θεοῦ τοῦ διδόντος ἁπλῶς πᾶσιν καὶ μὴ ὀνειδίζοντος καὶ δοθήσεται αὐτῷ de Ei tis hymōn leipetai sophias aiteitō para Theou tou didontos haplōs pasin kai mē oneidizontos kai dothēsetai autō — NA/TR · 5
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But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of [the] sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
δὲ αἰτείτω ἐν πίστει μηδὲν διακρινόμενος γὰρ ὁ διακρινόμενος ἔοικεν κλύδωνι θαλάσσης ἀνεμιζομένῳ καὶ ῥιπιζομένῳ de aiteitō en pistei mēden diakrinomenos gar ho diakrinomenos eoiken klydōni thalassēs anemizomenō kai rhipizomenō — NA/TR · 6
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- That man {should} not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ὁ ἄνθρωπος μὴ οἰέσθω ὅτι λήμψεταί τι παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου gar ekeinos ho anthrōpos mē oiesthō hoti lēmpsetai ti para tou Kyriou — NA/TR · 7
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[He is] a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
δίψυχος ἀνὴρ ἀκατάστατος ἐν πάσαις αὐτοῦ ταῖς ὁδοῖς dipsychos anēr akatastatos en pasais autou tais hodois — NA/TR · 8
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- The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.
δὲ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὁ ταπεινὸς Καυχάσθω ἐν αὐτοῦ τῷ ὕψει de ho adelphos ho tapeinos Kauchasthō en autou tō hypsei — NA/TR · 9
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But the [one who is] rich [should exult] in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.
δὲ ὁ πλούσιος ἐν αὐτοῦ τῇ ταπεινώσει ὅτι παρελεύσεται ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου de ho plousios en autou tē tapeinōsei hoti pareleusetai hōs anthos chortou — NA/TR · 10
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For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and [its] beauty… is lost. So too, the rich [man] will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος ἀνέτειλεν σὺν τῷ καύσωνι καὶ ἐξήρανεν τὸν χόρτον καὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἄνθος ἐξέπεσεν καὶ ἡ εὐπρέπεια αὐτοῦ τοῦ προσώπου ἀπώλετο οὕτως καὶ ὁ πλούσιος μαρανθήσεται ἐν αὐτοῦ ταῖς πορείαις gar ho hēlios aneteilen syn tō kausōni kai exēranen ton chorton kai autou to anthos exepesen kai hē euprepeia autou tou prosōpou apōleto houtōs kai ho plousios maranthēsetai en autou tais poreiais — NA/TR · 11
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Blessed [is the] man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that [God] has promised to those who love Him.
Μακάριος ἀνὴρ ὃς ὑπομένει πειρασμόν ὅτι γενόμενος δόκιμος λήμψεται τὸν στέφανον τῆς ζωῆς ὃν ἐπηγγείλατο τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν Makarios anēr hos hypomenei peirasmon hoti genomenos dokimos lēmpsetai ton stephanon tēs zōēs hon epēngeilato tois agapōsin auton — NA/TR · 12
Good and Perfect Gifts
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When tempted, no one should say, “- vvv God is tempting me. For God vvv cannot be tempted by evil, [nor] vvv does He tempt [anyone].
πειραζόμενος Μηδεὶς λεγέτω ὅτι Ἀπὸ Θεοῦ πειράζομαι γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἐστιν ἀπείραστός κακῶν δὲ αὐτὸς πειράζει οὐδένα peirazomenos Mēdeis legetō hoti Apo Theou peirazomai gar ho Theos estin apeirastos kakōn de autos peirazei oudena — NA/TR · 13
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But each one is tempted [when] by [his] own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.
δὲ ἕκαστος πειράζεται ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος de hekastos peirazetai hypo tēs idias epithymias exelkomenos kai deleazomenos — NA/TR · 14
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Then [after] desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
εἶτα ἡ ἐπιθυμία συλλαβοῦσα τίκτει ἁμαρτίαν δὲ ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀποτελεσθεῖσα ἀποκύει θάνατον eita hē epithymia syllabousa tiktei hamartian de hē hamartia apotelestheisa apokyei thanaton — NA/TR · 15
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{Do} not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Μὴ πλανᾶσθε μου ἀγαπητοί ἀδελφοί Mē planasthe mou agapētoi adelphoi — NA/TR · 16
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Every vvv good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
πᾶσα ἀγαθὴ δόσις καὶ πᾶν τέλειον δώρημα ἐστιν ἄνωθέν καταβαῖνον ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς τῶν φώτων παρ’ ᾧ ἔνι οὐκ παραλλαγὴ ἢ τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα pasa agathē dosis kai pan teleion dōrēma estin anōthen katabainon apo tou Patros tōn phōtōn par’ hō eni ouk parallagē ē tropēs aposkiasma — NA/TR · 17
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He chose to give us birth… through [the] word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.
βουληθεὶς ἀπεκύησεν ἡμᾶς λόγῳ ἀληθείας εἰς ἡμᾶς τὸ εἶναι τινα ἀπαρχήν αὐτοῦ τῶν κτισμάτων boulētheis apekyēsen hēmas logō alētheias eis hēmas to einai tina aparchēn autou tōn ktismatōn — NA/TR · 18
Hearing and Doing
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My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone… should be quick to listen, slow to speak, [and] slow to anger,
μου ἀγαπητοί ἀδελφοί Ἴστε δὲ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ἔστω ταχὺς εἰς τὸ ἀκοῦσαι βραδὺς εἰς τὸ λαλῆσαι βραδὺς εἰς ὀργήν mou agapētoi adelphoi Iste de pas anthrōpos estō tachys eis to akousai bradys eis to lalēsai bradys eis orgēn — NA/TR · 19
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for man’s anger {does} not bring about [the] righteousness that God [desires].
γὰρ ἀνδρὸς ὀργὴ οὐκ ἐργάζεται δικαιοσύνην Θεοῦ gar andros orgē ouk ergazetai dikaiosynēn Theou — NA/TR · 20
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Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, vvv [and] humbly accept the word planted [in you], which can save your souls.
διὸ ἀποθέμενοι πᾶσαν ῥυπαρίαν καὶ περισσείαν κακίας ἐν πραΰτητι δέξασθε τὸν λόγον ἔμφυτον τὸν δυνάμενον σῶσαι ὑμῶν τὰς ψυχὰς dio apothemenoi pasan rhyparian kai perisseian kakias en prautēti dexasthe ton logon emphyton ton dynamenon sōsai hymōn tas psychas — NA/TR · 21
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- Be doers of [the] word, and not hearers only. [Otherwise,] you are deceiving yourselves.
δὲ Γίνεσθε ποιηταὶ λόγου καὶ μὴ ἀκροαταὶ μόνον παραλογιζόμενοι ἑαυτούς de Ginesthe poiētai logou kai mē akroatai monon paralogizomenoi heautous — NA/TR · 22
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For anyone vvv who hears [the] word but vvv does not carry it out is like a man [who] looks - at his vvv face in a mirror,
ὅτι εἴ τις ἐστὶν ἀκροατὴς λόγου καὶ οὐ ποιητής οὗτος ἔοικεν ἀνδρὶ κατανοοῦντι τὸ τῆς αὐτοῦ γενέσεως πρόσωπον ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ hoti ei tis estin akroatēs logou kai ou poiētēs houtos eoiken andri katanoounti to tēs autou geneseōs prosōpon en esoptrō — NA/TR · 23
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[and] after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets vvv what he [looks] like.
γὰρ κατενόησεν ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀπελήλυθεν καὶ εὐθέως ἐπελάθετο ὁποῖος ἦν gar katenoēsen heauton kai apelēlythen kai eutheōs epelatheto hopoios ēn — NA/TR · 24
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But the [one who] looks intently into [the] perfect law - of freedom, and continues to do so— not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer— [he] will be blessed in what he does.
δὲ ὁ παρακύψας εἰς τέλειον νόμον τὸν τῆς ἐλευθερίας καὶ παραμείνας οὐκ γενόμενος ἐπιλησμονῆς ἀκροατὴς ἀλλὰ ἔργου ποιητὴς οὗτος ἔσται μακάριος ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ ποιήσει de ho parakypsas eis teleion nomon ton tēs eleutherias kai parameinas ouk genomenos epilēsmonēs akroatēs alla ergou poiētēs houtos estai makarios en tē autou poiēsei — NA/TR · 25
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If anyone considers himself… religious vvv [and yet] does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart [and his] religion [is] worthless.
Εἴ τις δοκεῖ εἶναι θρησκὸς μὴ χαλιναγωγῶν αὐτοῦ γλῶσσαν ἀλλὰ ἀπατῶν αὐτοῦ καρδίαν τούτου ἡ θρησκεία μάταιος Ei tis dokei einai thrēskos mē chalinagōgōn autou glōssan alla apatōn autou kardian toutou hē thrēskeia mataios — NA/TR · 26
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Pure and undefiled religion before [our] God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, [and] to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
καθαρὰ καὶ ἀμίαντος θρησκεία παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ ἐστίν αὕτη ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανοὺς καὶ χήρας ἐν αὐτῶν τῇ θλίψει τηρεῖν ἑαυτὸν ἄσπιλον ἀπὸ τοῦ κόσμου kathara kai amiantos thrēskeia para tō Theō kai Patri estin hautē episkeptesthai orphanous kai chēras en autōn tē thlipsei tērein heauton aspilon apo tou kosmou — NA/TR · 27