The General Epistle of James

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- Chapter 1 -

(Jude 1:1–2)

James, servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes of the dispersion, greetings.

Rejoicing in Trials

(Philippians 1:12–20)

My brothers, when you have fallen into various trials, consider everything a joy,(a)

knowing that the proving of your faith exercises patience,

and patience brings a work to perfection, so that you may be perfect and whole, deficient in nothing.

But if anyone among you is in need of wisdom, let him petition God, who gives abundantly to all without reproach, and it shall be given to him.

But he should ask with faith, doubting nothing. For he who doubts is like a wave on the ocean, which is moved about by the wind and carried away;

then a man should not consider that he would receive anything from the Lord.

For a man who is of two minds is inconstant in all his ways.

Now a humble brother should glory in his exaltation,

and a rich one, in his humiliation, for he will pass away like the flower of the grass.

For the sun has risen with a scorching heat, and has dried the grass, and its flower has fallen off, and the appearance of its beauty has perished. So also will the rich one wither away, according to his paths.

Blessed is the man who suffers temptation. For when he has been proven, he shall receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.

Good and Perfect Gifts

No one should say, when he is tempted, that he was tempted by God. For God does not entice toward evils, and he himself tempts no one.

Yet truly, each one is tempted by his own desires, having been enticed and drawn away.

Thereafter, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. Yet truly sin, when it has been consummated, produces death.

And so, do not choose to go astray, my most beloved brothers.

Every excellent gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor any shadow of alteration.

For by his own will he produced us through the Word of truth, so that we might be a kind of beginning among his creatures.(b)

Hearing and Doing

You know this, my most beloved brothers. So let every man be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to anger.

For the anger of man does not accomplish the justice of God.

Because of this, having cast away all uncleanness and an abundance of malice, receive with meekness the newly-grafted Word, which is able to save your souls.

So be doers of the Word, and not listeners only, deceiving yourselves.

For if anyone is a listener of the Word, but not also a doer, he is comparable to a man gazing into a mirror upon the face that he was born with;(c)

and after considering himself, he went away and promptly forgot what he had seen.(d)

But he who gazes upon the perfect law of liberty, and who remains in it, is not a forgetful hearer, but instead a doer of the work. He shall be blessed in what he does.

But if anyone considers himself to be religious, but he does not restrain his tongue, but instead seduces his own heart: such a one’s religion is vanity.

This is religion, clean and undefiled before God the Father: to visit orphans and widows in their tribulations, and to keep yourself immaculate, apart from this age.

Footnotes

(a)1:2 Into divers temptations:The word temptation, in this epistle, is sometimes taken for trials by afflictions or persecutions, as in this place: at other times, it is to be understood, tempting, enticing, or drawing others into sin.(Challoner)

(b)1:18 Some beginning:That is, a kind of first fruits of his creatures.(Challoner)

(c)1:23 The word ‘nativitatis’ refers to one’s birth, so ‘vultum nativitatis’ is the face one was born with, i.e. the natural appearance of a man given to him by God. (Now I know that ‘was born with’ is grammatically incorrect because it has a dangling preposition, but this is the way that people talk, so it sounds more natural to phrase it this way.)(Conte)

(d)1:24 By ‘qualis’ is meant the manner of his appearances when he looks in the mirror, in other words, what he sees in the mirror, his God-given appearances.(Conte)

(Jude 1:1–2)

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,(a) to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.

Rejoicing in Trials

(Philippians 1:12–20)

Count it all joy, my brothers,(b) when you fall into various temptations,

knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed.

For that man shouldn’t think that he will receive anything from the Lord.

He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position;

and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away.

For the sun arises with the scorching wind and withers the grass; and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So the rich man will also fade away in his pursuits.

Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love him.

Good and Perfect Gifts

Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed.

Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin. The sin, when it is full grown, produces death.

Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation nor turning shadow.

Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

Hearing and Doing

So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;

for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.

Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.(c)

But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror;

for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom and continues, not being a hearer who forgets but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.

If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 “Christ” means “Anointed One”.

(b)1:2 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”