1This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the "twelve tribes"—Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings!G2385G1401G2316G2532G2962G2424G5547G1427G5443G1722G1290G5463 2Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.G3450G80G2233G3956G5479G3752G4045G4164G3986 3For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.G1097G3754G1383G5216G4102G2716G5281 4So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.G1161G2192G5281G2192G5046G2041G2443G5600G5046G2532G3648G3007G1722G3367 5If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.G1161G1536G5216G3007G4678G154G3844G2316G1325G3956G574G2532G3679G3361G2532G1325G846 6But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.G1161G154G1722G4102G3367G1252G1063G1252G1503G2830G2281G416G2532G4494 7Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.G1063G3633G3361G1565G444G3633G3754G2983G5100G3844G2962 8Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.G1374G435G182G1722G3956G846G3598 9Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them.G1161G2744G80G5011G2744G1722G846G5311 10And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field.G1161G4145G1722G846G5014G3754G5613G438G5528G3928 11The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.G1063G2246G393G4862G2742G2532G3583G5528G2532G438G846G1601G2532G2143G4383G846G622G3779G2532G3133G4145G3133G1722G846G4197 12God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.G3107G435G3739G5278G3986G3754G1384G1096G2983G4735G2222G3739G2962G1861G25G846 13And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.G3004G3367G3004G3985G3754G3985G575G2316G1063G2316G551G2076G2556G1161G3985G846G3985G3762 14Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.G1161G1538G3985G1828G5259G2398G1939G2532G1185 15These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.G1534G1939G4815G5088G266G1161G266G658G616G2288 16So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.G4105G3361G4105G3450G27G80 17Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.G3956G18G1394G2532G3956G5046G1434G2076G509G2597G575G3962G5457G3844G3739G1762G3756G3883G2228G644G5157 18He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.G1014G616G2248G3056G225G1519G2248G1511G5100G536G846G2938 19Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.G5620G3450G27G80G2077G3956G444G2077G5036G1519G191G1021G1519G2980G1021G1519G3709 20Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.G1063G3709G435G2716G3756G1343G2316 21So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.G1352G659G3956G4507G2532G4050G2549G1209G1722G4240G1721G3056G3588G1410G4982G5216G5590 22But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.G1161G1096G4163G3056G2532G3361G202G3440G3884G1438 23For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.G3754G1536G2076G202G3056G2532G3756G4163G3778G1503G435G2657G846G1078G4383G1722G2072 24You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.G1063G2657G1438G2532G565G2532G2112G1950G3697G2258 25But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.G1161G3879G1519G5046G3551G1657G2532G3887G3778G1096G3756G1953G202G235G4163G2041G3778G2071G3107G1722G846G4162 26If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.G1536G1722G5213G1380G1511G2357G5468G3361G846G1100G235G538G846G2588G5127G2356G3152 27Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.G2513G2356G2532G283G3844G2316G2532G3962G2076G3778G1980G3737G2532G5503G1722G846G2347G5083G1438G784G575G2889
2My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?G3450G80G2192G3361G4102G2257G2962G2424G5547G1391G1722G4382 2For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes.G1063G1437G1525G1519G5216G4864G435G5554G1722G2986G2066G1161G1525G2532G4434G1722G4508G2066 3If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, "You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor"—well,G2532G1914G1909G5409G2986G2066G2532G2036G846G2521G4771G5602G2573G2532G2036G4434G2476G4771G1563G2228G2521G5602G5259G3450G5286 4doesn't this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?G1252G3756G2532G1252G1722G1438G2532G1096G2923G4190G1261 5Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?G191G3450G27G80G1586G3756G2316G1586G4434G5127G2889G4145G1722G4102G2532G2818G932G3739G1861G25G846 6But you dishonor the poor! Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?G1161G5210G818G4434G2616G3756G4145G2616G5216G2532G846G1670G5209G1519G2922 7Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?G987G3756G846G987G2570G3686G1909G5209G1941 8Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as yourself."G1487G3305G5055G937G3551G2596G1124G25G4675G4139G5613G4572G4160G2573 9But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.G1161G1487G4380G2038G266G1651G5259G3551G5613G3848 10For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws.G1063G3748G5083G3650G3551G1161G4417G1722G1520G1096G1777G3956 11For the same God who said, "You must not commit adultery," also said, "You must not murder." So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.G1063G2036G3431G3361G3431G2036G2532G5407G3361G5407G1161G1487G3431G3756G3431G1161G5407G1096G3848G3551 12So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.G3779G2980G2532G3779G4160G5613G3195G2919G1223G3551G1657 13There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.G1063G2920G448G4160G3361G1656G2532G1656G2620G2920 14What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?G5101G3786G3450G80G1437G5100G3004G2192G4102G1161G2192G3361G2041G1410G3361G4102G4982G846 15Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing,G1437G1161G80G2228G79G5225G1131G2532G3007G5600G2184G5160 16and you say, "Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well"—but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?G1161G5100G1537G5216G2036G846G5217G1722G1515G2328G2532G5526G1161G1325G846G3361G2006G4983G5101G3786 17So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.G2532G3779G4102G3362G2192G3362G2041G2076G3498G2596G1438 18Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds."G235G5100G2046G4771G2192G4102G2504G2192G2041G1166G3427G4675G4102G1537G4675G2041G2504G1166G4671G3450G4102G1537G3450G2041 19You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.G4771G4100G3754G2076G1520G2316G4160G2573G1140G2532G4100G2532G5425 20How foolish! Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless?G1161G2309G1097G5599G2756G444G3754G4102G5565G2041G2076G3498 21Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?G1344G3756G11G2257G3962G1344G1537G2041G399G2464G846G5207G1909G2379 22You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.G991G3754G4102G4903G846G2041G2532G1537G2041G5048G4102G5048 23And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith." He was even called the friend of God.G2532G1124G4137G3004G1161G11G4100G2316G2532G3049G846G1519G1343G2532G2564G5384G2316 24So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.G3708G5106G3754G1537G2041G444G1344G2532G3756G1537G4102G3440 25Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.G3668G1161G2532G1344G3756G4460G4204G1344G1537G2041G5264G32G2532G1544G2087G3598 26Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.G1063G5618G4983G5565G4151G2076G3498G3779G4102G5565G2041G2076G3498G2532
3Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.G3450G80G1096G3361G4183G1320G1492G3754G2983G3187G2917 2Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.G1063G4183G4417G537G1536G4417G3756G1722G3056G3778G5046G435G1415G2532G5468G3650G4983 3We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth.G2400G906G5469G1519G2462G4750G4314G846G3982G2254G2532G3329G846G3650G4983 4And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong.G2400G2532G4143G5607G5082G2532G1643G5259G4642G417G3329G5259G1646G4079G3699G302G2116G3730G1014 5In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.G2532G3779G1100G2076G3398G3196G2532G3166G2400G2245G5208G3641G4442G381 6And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.G2532G1100G4442G2889G93G3779G2525G1100G1722G2257G3196G4695G3650G4983G2532G5394G5164G1078G2532G5394G5259G1067 7People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish,G1063G3956G5449G2342G5037G2532G4071G5037G2062G2532G1724G1150G2532G1150G5449G442 8but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.G1161G1100G1410G3762G444G1150G183G2556G3324G2287G2447 9Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.G1722G846G2127G2316G2532G3962G2532G1722G846G2672G444G3588G1096G2596G3669G2316 10And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!G1537G846G4750G1831G2129G2532G2671G3450G80G5023G5534G3756G3779G1096 11Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?G3385G4077G1032G1537G846G3692G1099G2532G4089 12Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can't draw fresh water from a salty spring.G3361G1410G4808G3450G80G4160G1636G2228G288G4810G3779G3762G4077G4160G252G5204G2532G1099 13If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.G5101G4680G2532G1990G1722G5213G1166G1537G2570G391G846G2041G1722G4240G4678 14But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying.G1161G1487G2192G4089G2205G2532G2052G1722G5216G2588G2620G3361G2532G5574G2596G225 15For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.G3778G4678G2076G2718G3756G509G235G1919G5591G1141 16For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.G1063G3699G2205G2532G2052G1563G181G2532G3956G5337G4229 17But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.G1161G4678G509G2076G4412G3303G53G1899G1516G1933G2138G3324G1656G2532G18G2590G87G2532G505 18And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.G1161G2590G1343G4687G1722G1515G4160G1515
4What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you?G4159G4171G2532G3163G1722G5213G3756G1782G1537G5216G2237G4754G1722G5216G3196 2You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it.G1937G2532G2192G3756G5407G2532G2206G2532G3756G1410G2013G3164G2532G4170G1161G2192G3756G1223G5209G154G3361 3And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.G154G2532G2983G3756G1360G154G2560G2443G1159G1722G5216G2237 4You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.G3432G2532G3428G1492G3756G3754G5373G2889G2076G2189G2316G3739G302G3767G1511G1014G5384G2889G2525G2190G2316 5What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?G2228G1380G3754G1124G3004G2761G4151G3739G2730G1722G2254G1971G4314G5355 6But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God opposes the proud but favors the humble."G1161G1325G3187G5485G1352G3004G2316G498G5244G1161G1325G5485G5011 7So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.G5293G3767G2316G436G1228G2532G5343G575G5216 8Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.G1448G2316G2532G1448G5213G2511G5495G268G2532G48G2588G1374 9Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.G5003G2532G3996G2532G2799G5216G1071G3344G1519G3997G2532G5479G1519G2726 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.G5013G1799G2962G2532G5312G5209G5312 11Don't speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God's law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.G2635G3361G2635G240G80G2635G80G2532G2919G846G80G2635G3551G2532G2919G3551G1161G1487G2919G3551G1488G3756G4163G3551G235G2923 12God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?G2076G1520G3550G3588G1410G4982G2532G622G5101G1488G4771G3739G2919G2087 13Look here, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit."G33G3568G3004G4594G2532G839G4198G1519G3592G4172G2532G4160G4160G1563G1520G1763G2532G1710G1710G2532G2770G2770 14How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it's here a little while, then it's gone.G3748G1987G3756G3588G839G1063G4169G5216G2222G2076G1063G822G4314G5316G3641G1161G1899G853 15What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that."G473G5209G3004G1437G2962G2309G2532G2198G2198G2532G4160G4160G5124G2228G1565 16Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.G1161G3568G2744G1722G5216G212G3956G5108G2746G2076G4190 17Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.G3767G1492G4160G2570G2532G4160G3361G846G2076G266
5Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you.G33G3568G4145G2799G3649G1909G5216G5004G1904 2Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags.G5216G4149G4595G2532G5216G2440G1096G4598 3Your gold and silver have become worthless. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment.G5216G5557G2532G696G2728G2532G2447G846G2071G3142G1519G5213G2532G5315G5216G4561G5613G4442G2343G1722G2078G2250 4For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the LORD of Heaven's Armies.G2400G3408G2040G3588G270G5216G5561G3588G575G5216G650G2896G2532G995G2325G1525G1519G3775G2962G4519 5You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.G5171G1909G1093G2532G4684G5142G5216G2588G5613G1722G2250G4967 6You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.G2613G5407G1342G498G3756G498G5213 7Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord's return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen.G3114G3767G80G2193G3952G2962G2400G1092G1551G5093G2590G1093G3114G1909G846G2193G302G2983G4406G2532G3797G5205 8You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.G3114G5210G2532G3114G4741G5216G2588G3754G3952G2962G1448 9Don't grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!G4727G3361G2596G240G80G3363G2632G2400G2923G2476G4253G2374 10For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.G2983G3450G80G4396G3739G2980G3686G2962G5262G2552G2532G3115 11We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.G2400G3106G5278G191G5281G2492G2532G1492G5056G2962G3754G2962G2076G4184G2532G3629 12But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.G1161G4253G3956G3450G80G3660G3361G3383G3772G3383G1093G3383G5100G243G3727G1161G2277G5216G3483G2277G3483G2532G3756G3756G3363G4098G1519G5272 13Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.G2553G5100G1722G5213G2553G4336G2114G5100G2114G5567 14Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.G770G5100G770G1722G5213G4341G4245G1577G2532G4336G1909G846G218G846G1637G1722G3686G2962 15Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.G2532G2171G4102G4982G2577G2532G2962G1453G846G1453G2579G5600G4160G266G863G846 16Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.G1843G3900G240G2532G2172G240G5228G240G3704G2390G1754G1162G1342G2480G4183 17Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!G2243G2258G444G3663G2254G2532G4336G4335G1026G3361G1026G2532G1026G3756G1909G1093G5140G1763G2532G1803G3376 18Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.G2532G4336G3825G2532G3772G1325G5205G2532G1093G985G846G2590 19My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back,G80G1437G5100G1722G5213G4105G575G225G2532G5100G1994G846 20you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.G1097G846G1097G3754G1994G268G1537G4106G846G3598G4982G5590G1537G2288G2532G2572G4128G266
Dublin, OH
, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.G3450
