James 1

1 ¹James, a servant of our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: greetings. ^a a v1 The twelve tribes refers to Jewish believers scattered in communities across the non-Jewish world.

²Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, ask our Father, who gives freely to all without criticizing, and it will be given you. ⁶Ask in faith, without doubting, for the doubter is like a sea wave, driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷That person should not expect to receive anything from our Father. ⁸Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all their ways.

⁹Let the believer in humble circumstances take pride in their high position, ¹⁰but let the rich boast in their low state, since they'll pass like a wildflower. ¹¹The sun rises with scorching heat and withers the grass. Its flower falls; its beauty vanishes. So the rich fade away amid their pursuits.

¹²Blessed is the one who endures trial, because once tested they'll receive the crown of life our Father promised to those who love him.

¹³When tempted, no one should say, "Our Father is tempting me." Evil can't tempt our Father, and he tempts no one. ^b b v13 James guards our Father's character against a lie as old as the garden — that he is the tempter. Our Father gives every good gift; he never sets a trap for his children. ¹⁴But each person is tempted, dragged away and lured by their own evil desire. ¹⁵Then desire conceives and gives birth to sin; sin, full-grown, gives birth to death. ¹⁶Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. ¹⁷Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who never changes or casts a shifting shadow. ^c c v17 James gives our Father his own distinctive title — the Father of lights, the source of every good gift, who never shifts like the sun and stars he made. ¹⁸By his choice, he gave us birth through the word of truth, so we'd be a kind of firstfruits of his creation. ^d d v18 Firstfruits were the first and finest portion of the harvest offered to God; here believers are the first and best of all he created.

Hear It, Then Live It

¹⁹Know this, my dear brothers and sisters: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, ²⁰because human anger does not produce the righteousness of our Father. ²¹So strip off all moral filth and excess evil; humbly receive the word planted in you, able to save your souls.

²²Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³Anyone who hears the word but doesn't act on it is like one who looks at his natural face in a mirror, ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵But whoever peers into the perfect law of freedom, continuing in it — not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts — will be blessed in his doing.

²⁶If anyone thinks himself religious but doesn't control his tongue, he deceives his own heart — his religion is worthless. ²⁷Pure and spotless religion before our Father is this: caring for orphans and widows in their distress, and keeping oneself unstained from the world.