James 1

¹ James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.

² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations,

³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

⁴ Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

⁵ 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. CCC

⁶ 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. CCC

⁷ For that man shouldn’t think that he will receive anything from the Lord. CCC

⁸ He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. CCC

⁹ Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position;

¹⁰ and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away.

¹¹ 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.

¹² 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.

¹³ 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.

¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. CCC

¹⁵ Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin. The sin, when it is full grown, produces death. CCC

¹⁶ Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers.

¹⁷ 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. CCC

¹⁸ 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.

¹⁹ So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;

²⁰ for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.

²¹ Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Fathers

²² But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.

²³ 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;

²⁴ for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

²⁵ 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. CCC

²⁶ 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.

²⁷ 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. CCC

¹ JJames, the servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

² My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers temptations:

³ Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience

⁴ And patience hath a perfect work: that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing.

⁵ But if any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth to all men abundantly and upbraideth not. And it shall be given him. CCC

⁶ But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, which is moved and carried about by the wind. CCC

⁷ Therefore let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. CCC

⁸ A double minded man is inconstant in all his ways. CCC

⁹ But let the brother of low condition glory in his exaltation:

¹⁰ And the rich, in his being low: because as the flower of the grass shall he pass away.

¹¹ For the sun rose with a burning heat and parched the grass: and the flower thereof fell off, and the beauty of the shape thereof perished. So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

¹² Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for, when he hath been proved, he shall receive the crown of life which God hath promised to them that love him.

¹³ Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. For God is not a tempter of evils: and he tempteth no man.

¹⁴ But every man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured. CCC

¹⁵ Then, when concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin. But sin, when it is completed, begetteth death. CCC

¹⁶ Do not err, therefore, my dearest brethren.

¹⁷ Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change nor shadow of alteration. CCC

¹⁸ For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creature.

¹⁹ You know, my dearest brethren. And let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak and slow to anger.

²⁰ For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God.

²¹ Wherefore, casting away all uncleanness and abundance of naughtiness, with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls. Fathers

²² But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

²³ For if a man be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he shall be compared to a man beholding his own countenance in a glass.

²⁴ For he beheld himself and went his way and presently forgot what manner of man he was.

²⁵ But he that hath looked into the perfect law of liberty and hath continued therein, not becoming a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work: this man shall be blessed in his deed. CCC

²⁶ And if any man think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue but deceiving his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

²⁷ Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation and to keep one’s self unspotted from this world. CCC