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            James English Standard Version (ESV)

Chapter 1

     Greeting

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

     Testing of Your Faith

     2Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3for you know that the testing of your

     faith produces steadfastness. 4And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and

     complete, lacking in nothing.

     5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be

     given him. 6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is

     driven and tossed by the wind. 7For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the

     Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

     9Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the

     grass he will pass away. 11For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls,

     and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

     12Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the

     crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am

     being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14But each

     person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15Then desire when it has conceived gives

     birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

     16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming

     down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18Of his own will he

     brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

     Hearing and Doing the Word

     19Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20for the

     anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires. 21Therefore put away all filthiness and

     rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

     22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the

     word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24For he looks at

     himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25But the one who looks into the perfect law,

     the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his

     doing.

     26If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is

     worthless. 27Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in

     their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

     Chapter 2

     The Sin of Partiality

     1My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2For if a man

     wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes

     in, 3and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place,"

     while you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit down at my feet," 4have you not then made

     distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5Listen, my beloved brothers, has not

     God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has

     promised to those who love him? 6But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who

     oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable

     name by which you were called?

     8If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you

     are doing well. 9But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as

     transgressors. 10For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.

     11For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do

     murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12So speak and so act as those who are to be judged

     under the law of liberty. 13For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs

     over judgment.

     Faith Without Works Is Dead

     14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save

     him? 15If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16and one of you says to them, "Go in

     peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17So

     also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

     18But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I

     will show you my faith by my works. 19You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons

     believe--and shudder! 20Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

     21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see

     that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23and the Scripture was

     fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"-- and he was called a

     friend of God. 24You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25And in the same way

     was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by

     another way? 26For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

     Chapter 3

     Taming the Tongue

     1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with

     greater strictness. 2For we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a

     perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey

     us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by

     strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5So also the

     tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!

     6And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the

     whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7For every kind of beast and bird,

     of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8but no human being can tame

     the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we

     curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My

     brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and

     salt water? 12Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond

     yield fresh water.

     Wisdom from Above

     13Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of

     wisdom. 14But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the

     truth. 15This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16For

     where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17But the wisdom

     from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and

     sincere. 18And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

     Chapter 4

     Warning Against Worldliness

     1What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within

     you? 2You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.

     You do not have, because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend

     it on your passions. 4You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with

     God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5Or do you

     suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to

     dwell in us"? 6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the

     humble." 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God,

     and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

     9Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble

     yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

     11Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his

     brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the

     law but a judge. 12There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are

     you to judge your neighbor?

     Boasting About Tomorrow

     13Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there

     and trade and make a profit"-- 14yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you

     are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we

     will live and do this or that." 16As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17So whoever

     knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

     Chapter 5

     Warning to the Rich

     1Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2Your riches have rotted and

     your garments are moth-eaten. 3Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence

     against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4Behold, the wages of

     the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries

     of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5You have lived on the earth in luxury and in

     self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6You have condemned; you have

     murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

     Patience in Suffering

     7Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit

     of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8You also, be patient.

     Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9Do not grumble against one another, brothers,

     so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10As an example of suffering and

     patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11Behold, we consider those

     blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose

     of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

     12But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your

     "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

     The Prayer of Faith

     13Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14Is anyone among

     you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the

     name of the Lord. 15And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And

     if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one

     another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17Elijah

     was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six

     months it did not rain on the earth. 18Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its

     fruit.

     19My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20let him know

     that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude

     of sins.