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Greeting

¹From James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: greetings.

Trials that test faith

²My brothers and sisters, whenever you find yourselves in trials of every sort, regard it as a reason for great joy, ³because you know that the testing your faith goes through produces endurance. ⁴Let endurance carry its work through to the end, so that you may be mature and whole, with nothing missing.

⁵If any of you is short of wisdom, ask God, who gives to everyone with an open hand and without scolding, and it will be given to you. ⁶But you must ask in faith, without wavering. Anyone who wavers is like a wave out at sea, driven by the wind and thrown this way and that. ⁷Such a person must not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸They are of two minds and unsteady in all they do.

⁹The brother or sister of low position should take pride in being lifted high, ¹⁰and the rich person in being brought low, because the rich will pass away like a wild flower.^{a 11}The sun comes up with its burning heat and parches the grass; its flower drops, and all its loveliness is gone. That is how the rich will fade away, even while they are busy with their affairs.

Where temptation comes from

¹²Blessed is anyone who endures through trial. When they have been proved genuine, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. ¹³No one who is tempted should say, “God is tempting me.” For God is beyond the reach of evil’s temptation, and he never tempts anyone. ¹⁴Rather, each person is tempted by their own desire, which draws them out and lures them like bait. ¹⁵Desire conceives and bears sin, and sin, once it is full grown, gives birth to death. ¹⁶Do not be fooled, my dear brothers and sisters.

¹⁷Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above. It comes down from the Father of the lights in the sky, in whom there is no change, and no shadow cast by turning. ¹⁸It was his will to give us birth through the word of truth, so that we might be something like the firstfruits among all he has created.

Hearing and doing the word

¹⁹Be sure of this, my dear brothers and sisters.^b Every person should be eager to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, ²⁰for human anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God. ²¹So take off all that is filthy and the wickedness that overflows, and with a gentle spirit welcome the word rooted in you, which has the power to save your souls.

²²Be people who carry out the word, not just people who hear it. Otherwise you are fooling yourselves. ²³Anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man studying his own face in a mirror. ²⁴He looks himself over, goes away, and at once forgets what he looked like. ²⁵But whoever looks closely into the perfect law of freedom and stays with it, not hearing and then forgetting but doing the work, will be blessed in what they do.

²⁶If anyone thinks they are devout but does not put a bridle on their tongue, they are fooling themselves, and their religion is empty. ²⁷To God the Father, religion that is pure and untainted looks like this: going to the help of orphans and widows in their trouble, and keeping yourself unstained by the world.