1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, sends words of love to the twelve tribes of the Jews living in all parts of the earth.
2 Let it be all joy to you, my brothers, when you undergo tests of every sort;
3 Because you have the knowledge that the testing of your faith gives you the power of going on in hope;
4 But let this power have its full effect, so that you may be made complete, needing nothing.
5 But if any man among you is without wisdom, let him make his request to God, who gives freely to all without an unkind word, and it will be given to him.
6 Let him make his request in faith, doubting nothing; for he who has doubt in his heart is like the waves of the sea, which are troubled by the driving of the wind.
7 Let it not seem to such a man that he will get anything from the Lord;
8 For there is a division in his mind, and he is uncertain in all his ways.
9 But let the brother of low position be glad that he is lifted up;
10 But the man of wealth, that he is made low; because like the flower of the grass he will come to his end.
11 For when the sun comes up with its burning heat, the grass gets dry and the grace of its form is gone with the falling flower; so the man of wealth comes to nothing in his ways.
12 There is a blessing on the man who undergoes testing; because, if he has God's approval, he will be given the crown of life, which the Lord has said he will give to those who have love for him.
13 Let no man say when he is tested, I am tested by God; for it is not possible for God to be tested by evil, and he himself puts no man to such a test:
14 But every man is tested when he is turned out of the right way by the attraction of his desire.
15 Then when its time comes, desire gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is of full growth, gives birth to death.
16 Do not be turned from the right way, dear brothers.
17 Every good and true thing is given to us from heaven, coming from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or any shade made by turning.
18 Of his purpose he gave us being, by his true word, so that we might be, in a sense, the first-fruits of all the things which he had made.
19 You have knowledge of this, dear brothers. But let every man be quick in hearing, slow in words, slow to get angry;
20 For the righteousness of God does not come about by the wrath of man.
21 For this reason, putting away all dirty behaviour and the overweight of evil, take into your souls without pride the word which, being planted there, is able to give you salvation.
22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers of it, blinding yourselves with false ideas.
23 Because if any man is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a glass;
24 For after looking at himself he goes away, and in a short time he has no memory of what he was like.
25 But he who goes on looking into the true law which makes him free, being not a hearer without memory but a doer putting it into effect, this man will have a blessing on his acts.
26 If a man seems to have religion and has no control over his tongue but lets himself be tricked by what is false, this man's religion is of no value.
27 The religion which is holy and free from evil in the eyes of our God and Father is this: to take care of children who have no fathers and of widows who are in trouble, and to keep oneself untouched by the world.
1 神和主耶稣基督的仆人雅各， 向散居各地的十二支派问安。
2 我的弟兄们， 你们遭遇各种试炼的时候， 都要看为喜乐；
3 因为知道你们的信心经过考验， 就产生忍耐。
4 但忍耐要坚持到底（"坚持到底"原文作"有完全的功效"）， 使你们可以完全， 毫无缺乏。
5 你们中间若有人缺少智慧， 就当向那厚赐众人， 而且不斥责人的 神祈求， 他就必得着。
6 可是， 他应该凭着信心祈求， 不要有疑惑； 因为疑惑的人， 就像被风吹荡翻腾的海浪。
7 那样的人， 不要想从主得到什么；
8 因为三心两意的人， 在他的一切道路上， 都摇摆不定。
9 卑微的弟兄应当以高升为荣；
10 富足的也不应该以降卑为辱； 因为他如同草上的花， 必要过去。
11 太阳一出， 热风一吹， 草必枯干， 花必凋谢， 它的美容就消失了； 富足的人也必在他的奔波经营中这样衰落。
12 能忍受试炼的人， 是有福的； 因为他经过考验之后， 必得着生命的冠冕， 这冠冕是主应许给爱他的人的。
13 人被试探， 不可说"我被 神试探"； 因为 神不能被恶试探， 他也不试探任何人。
14 每一个人受试探， 都是被自己的私欲所勾引诱惑的。
15 私欲怀了胎， 就生出罪； 罪长成了， 就产生死亡。
16 我亲爱的弟兄们， 不要看错了。
17 各样美好的赏赐， 各样完备的恩赐， 都是从上面、从众光之父降下来的， 他本身并没有改变， 也没有转动的影子。
18 他凭着自己的旨意， 借着真理的道生了我们， 使我们作他所造的万物中初熟的果子。
19 我亲爱的弟兄们， 你们要知道， 人人都应该快快地听， 慢慢地说， 慢一点动怒；
20 因为人的忿怒并不能成全 神的义。
21 所以你们应当摆脱一切污秽和所有的邪恶， 以温柔的心领受 神栽种的道； 这道能救你们的灵魂。
22 你们应该作行道的人， 不要单作听道的人， 自己欺骗自己；
23 因为人若只作听道的人， 不作行道的人， 他就像一个人对着镜子看自己本来的面貌，
24 看过走开以后， 马上就忘记自己的样子。
25 唯有详细察看那使人自由的全备的律法， 并且时常遵守的人， 他不是听了就忘记， 而是实行出来， 就必因自己所作的蒙福。
26 如果有人自以为虔诚， 却不约束他的舌头， 反而自己欺骗自己， 这人的虔诚是没有用的。
27 在父 神看来， 纯洁无玷污的虔诚， 就是照顾患难中的孤儿寡妇， 并且保守自己不被世俗所污染。