1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion, greeting:2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into different kinds of temptations,3 knowing that the trying of your faith works patience.4 But let patience have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and with no reproach, and it shall be given to him.6 But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing. For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed.7 For do not let that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord;8 he is a double-minded man, not dependable in all his ways.9 But let the humble brother rejoice in his exaltation;10 and the rich one rejoice in his humiliation, because he shall pass away as the flower of the grass.11 For the sun rose with the hot wind and dried up the grass, and its flower fell out, and the beauty of its appearance perished; so also the rich one will fade away in his ways.12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because having been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.13 Let no one being tempted say, I am tempted from God. For God is not tempted by evils, and He tempts no one.14 But each one is tempted by his lusts, being drawn away and seduced by them.15 Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin. And sin, when it is fully formed, brings forth death.16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning.18 Of His own will He brought us forth with the Word of truth, for us to be a certain firstfruit of His creatures.19 Therefore, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.20 For the wrath of man does not work out the righteousness of God.21 Therefore putting aside all filthiness and overflowing of evil, receive in meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls.22 But become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.23 For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man studying his natural face in a mirror.24 For he studied himself and went his way, and immediately he forgot what he was like.25 But whoever looks into the perfect Law of liberty and continues in it, he is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work. This one shall be blessed in his doing.26 If anyone thinks to be religious among you, yet does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is vain.27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their afflictions, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.