| 1 | James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greeting. |
| 2 | Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, |
| 3 | for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. |
| 4 | And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. |
| 5 | If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. |
| 6 | But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7, |
| 7 | For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man, |
| 8 | unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord. |
| 9 | Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, |
| 10 | and the rich in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass he will pass away. |
| 11 | For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. |
| 12 | Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him. |
| 13 | Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one; |
| 14 | but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. |
| 15 | Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death. |