1 Greetings|strong="G5463" from|strong="G1722" James|strong="G2385", a|strong="G2532" servant|strong="G1401" of|strong="G2316" God|strong="G2316" and|strong="G2532" of|strong="G2316" the|strong="G3588" Lord|strong="G2962" Jesus|strong="G2424" Christ|strong="G5547".
2 My|strong="G3956" brothers|strong="G0080" and|strong="G0080" sisters, you|strong="G3752" will|strong="G3956" have|strong="G1473" many kinds|strong="G3956" of|strong="G3956" trouble. But|strong="G1473" this gives you|strong="G3752" a|strong="G3752" reason to|strong="G3956" be|strong="G3956" very happy.
3 You|strong="G5210" know|strong="G1097" that|strong="G3754" when|strong="G1097" your|strong="G4102" faith|strong="G4102" is|strong="G3588" tested, you|strong="G5210" learn|strong="G1097" to|strong="G1097" be patient|strong="G5281" in|strong="G4102" suffering.
4 If|strong="G2443" you|strong="G1722" let|strong="G2443" that|strong="G2443" patience|strong="G5281" work|strong="G2041" in|strong="G1722" you|strong="G1722", the|strong="G3588" end result|strong="G2443" will|strong="G1510" be|strong="G1510" good|strong="G1510". You|strong="G1722" will|strong="G1510" be|strong="G1510" mature|strong="G5046" and|strong="G2532" complete|strong="G3648". You|strong="G1722" will|strong="G1510" be|strong="G1510" all|strong="G3588" that|strong="G2443" God wants you|strong="G1722" to|strong="G2443" be|strong="G1510".
5 Do|strong="G3361" any|strong="G5100" of|strong="G2316" you|strong="G5210" need|strong="G3007" wisdom|strong="G4678"? Ask|strong="G0154" God|strong="G2316" for|strong="G3844" it|strong="G0846". He|strong="G2532" is|strong="G2316" generous and|strong="G2532" enjoys giving|strong="G1325" to|strong="G2532" everyone|strong="G3956". So|strong="G2532" he|strong="G2532" will|strong="G2316" give|strong="G1325" you|strong="G5210" wisdom|strong="G4678".
6 But|strong="G1161" when|strong="G2532" you|strong="G1722" ask|strong="G0154" God, you|strong="G1722" must|strong="G3588" believe. Don’t|strong="G3367" doubt|strong="G1252" him|strong="G2532". Whoever|strong="G3588" doubts|strong="G1252" is|strong="G3588" like a|strong="G2532" wave in|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" sea|strong="G2281" that|strong="G1161" is|strong="G3588" blown|strong="G0416" up and|strong="G2532" down by|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" wind|strong="G4494".
9 Believers who|strong="G3588" are|strong="G3588" poor should|strong="G0080" be|strong="G1722" glad that|strong="G0846" God|strong="G0846" considers them|strong="G0846" so|strong="G1161" important.
10 Believers who|strong="G3588" are|strong="G3588" rich|strong="G4145" should be|strong="G1722" glad when|strong="G5613" bad things|strong="G0846" happen that|strong="G3754" humble|strong="G5014" them|strong="G0846". Their|strong="G0846" riches won’t keep them|strong="G0846" from|strong="G1722" disappearing as|strong="G5613" quickly|strong="G1722" as|strong="G5613" wildflowers.
11 As|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" sun|strong="G2246" rises|strong="G0393" and|strong="G2532" gets hotter, its|strong="G0846" heat|strong="G2742" dries|strong="G3583" up the|strong="G3588" plants, and|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" flowers fall off. The|strong="G3588" flowers that|strong="G0846" were|strong="G3588" so|strong="G2532" beautiful are|strong="G3588" now|strong="G2532" dead. That’s how|strong="G3779" it|strong="G0846" is|strong="G3588" with|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" rich|strong="G4145". While|strong="G1722" they|strong="G0846" are|strong="G3588" still making plans for|strong="G1063" their|strong="G0846" business, they|strong="G0846" will|strong="G2532" die.
12 Great blessings belong to|strong="G1096" those|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3739" are|strong="G3739" tempted and|strong="G0435" remain|strong="G1096" faithful! After|strong="G2983" they|strong="G0846" have|strong="G3748" proved|strong="G1096" their|strong="G0846" faith|strong="G3739", God|strong="G0846" will|strong="G3739" give|strong="G1096" them|strong="G0846" the|strong="G3588" reward of|strong="G0435" eternal life|strong="G2222". God|strong="G0846" promised|strong="G1861" this|strong="G3588" to|strong="G1096" all|strong="G3588" people|strong="G0846" who|strong="G3739" love|strong="G0025" him|strong="G0846".
13 Whenever you|strong="G3754" feel tempted|strong="G3985" to|strong="G3004" do|strong="G1510" something|strong="G1510" bad|strong="G2556", you|strong="G3754" should|strong="G2316" not|strong="G3367" say|strong="G3004", “God|strong="G2316" is|strong="G1510" tempting me|strong="G3004".” Evil|strong="G2556" cannot|strong="G0551" tempt|strong="G3985" God|strong="G2316", and|strong="G1161" God|strong="G2316" himself|strong="G0846" does|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3367" tempt|strong="G3985" anyone|strong="G3367".
14 You|strong="G2532" are|strong="G3588" tempted|strong="G3985" by|strong="G5259" the|strong="G3588" evil things|strong="G3588" you|strong="G2532" want. Your|strong="G2532" own|strong="G2398" desire|strong="G1939" leads you|strong="G2532" away|strong="G1828" and|strong="G2532" traps you|strong="G2532".
15 Your|strong="G1161" desire|strong="G1939" grows inside you until it|strong="G1161" results in|strong="G1161" sin|strong="G0266". Then|strong="G1161" the|strong="G3588" sin|strong="G0266" grows bigger and|strong="G1161" bigger and|strong="G1161" finally ends in|strong="G1161" death|strong="G2288".
16 My|strong="G4105" dear|strong="G0027" brothers|strong="G0080" and|strong="G0080" sisters, don’t|strong="G3361" be|strong="G3361" fooled about this.
17 Everything|strong="G3956" good|strong="G0018" comes|strong="G2597" from|strong="G0575" God|strong="G3962". Every|strong="G3956" perfect|strong="G5046" gift|strong="G1434" is|strong="G1510" from|strong="G0575" him|strong="G3739". These|strong="G3739" good|strong="G0018" gifts come|strong="G2597" down|strong="G2597" from|strong="G0575" the|strong="G3956" Father|strong="G3962" who|strong="G3739" made all|strong="G3956" the|strong="G3956" lights|strong="G5457" in|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3956" sky. But|strong="G2532" God|strong="G3962" never|strong="G3756" changes like the|strong="G3956" shadows from|strong="G0575" those|strong="G3588" lights|strong="G5457". He|strong="G2532" is|strong="G1510" always|strong="G3956" the|strong="G3956" same|strong="G3739".
18 God|strong="G0846" decided to|strong="G1519" give us|strong="G1519" life through the|strong="G3588" true|strong="G0225" message|strong="G3056" he|strong="G0846" sent to|strong="G1519" us|strong="G1519". He|strong="G0846" wanted|strong="G1014" us|strong="G1519" to|strong="G1519" be|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3588" most|strong="G0225" important of|strong="G3056" all|strong="G3588" that|strong="G0846" he|strong="G0846" created|strong="G2938".
19 My|strong="G0191" dear|strong="G0027" brothers|strong="G0080" and|strong="G1161" sisters, always|strong="G3956" be|strong="G1510" more|strong="G3956" willing to|strong="G1519" listen|strong="G0191" than|strong="G5036" to|strong="G1519" speak|strong="G2980". Keep control of|strong="G3956" your|strong="G3956" anger|strong="G3709".
20 Anger|strong="G3709" does|strong="G2038" not|strong="G3756" help you live the|strong="G2316" way God|strong="G2316" wants.
21 So|strong="G2532" get|strong="G4982" rid of|strong="G3056" everything|strong="G3956" evil|strong="G2549" in|strong="G1722" your|strong="G2532" lives|strong="G5590"—every|strong="G3956" kind|strong="G3956" of|strong="G3056" wrong you|strong="G5210" do|strong="G1410". Be|strong="G2532" humble and|strong="G2532" accept|strong="G1209" God’s teaching|strong="G3056" that|strong="G3956" is|strong="G3588" planted in|strong="G1722" your|strong="G2532" hearts. This|strong="G3588" teaching|strong="G3056" can|strong="G1410" save|strong="G4982" you|strong="G5210".
22 Do|strong="G1096" what|strong="G1161" God’s teaching|strong="G3056" says|strong="G3056"; don’t|strong="G3361" just|strong="G3440" listen|strong="G0202" and|strong="G2532" do|strong="G1096" nothing|strong="G3361". When|strong="G2532" you|strong="G2532" only|strong="G3440" sit and|strong="G2532" listen|strong="G0202", you|strong="G2532" are|strong="G2532" fooling yourselves|strong="G1438".
23 Hearing God’s|strong="G0846" teaching|strong="G3056" and|strong="G2532" doing nothing|strong="G3756" is|strong="G1510" like|strong="G0846" looking at|strong="G1722" your|strong="G1487" face|strong="G4383" in|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" mirror|strong="G2072"
24 and|strong="G2532" doing nothing about|strong="G2532" what|strong="G3697" you|strong="G1510" saw. You|strong="G1510" go|strong="G0565" away|strong="G0565" and|strong="G2532" immediately|strong="G2112" forget|strong="G1950" how|strong="G2657" bad you|strong="G1510" looked|strong="G2657".
25 But|strong="G1161" when|strong="G2532" you|strong="G1722" look|strong="G1096" into|strong="G1519" God’s|strong="G0846" perfect|strong="G5046" law|strong="G3551" that|strong="G3778" sets people|strong="G0846" free, pay attention to|strong="G1519" it|strong="G0846". If|strong="G2532" you|strong="G1722" do|strong="G1096" what|strong="G3588" it|strong="G0846" says, you|strong="G1722" will|strong="G1510" have|strong="G1510" God’s|strong="G0846" blessing. Never|strong="G3756" just|strong="G2532" listen|strong="G0202" to|strong="G1519" his|strong="G0846" teaching and|strong="G2532" forget what|strong="G3588" you|strong="G1722" heard.
26 You|strong="G1487" might|strong="G5100" think|strong="G1380" you|strong="G1487" are|strong="G1510" a|strong="G1510" very|strong="G0846" religious|strong="G2357" person|strong="G5100". But|strong="G0235" if|strong="G1487" your|strong="G1487" tongue|strong="G1100" is|strong="G1510" out|strong="G1510" of|strong="G5100" control, you|strong="G1487" are|strong="G1510" fooling yourself|strong="G0846". Your|strong="G1487" careless talk makes your|strong="G1487" offerings to|strong="G5100" God|strong="G0846" worthless|strong="G3152".
27 The|strong="G3588" worship|strong="G2356" that|strong="G3778" God|strong="G2316" wants is|strong="G1510" this|strong="G3778": caring for|strong="G1722" orphans|strong="G3737" or|strong="G2532" widows|strong="G5503" who|strong="G3588" need help and|strong="G2532" keeping|strong="G5083" yourself|strong="G0846" free from|strong="G0575" the|strong="G3588" world’s|strong="G2889" evil influence. This|strong="G3778" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3588" kind of|strong="G0575" worship|strong="G2356" that|strong="G3778" God|strong="G2316" accepts as|strong="G1722" pure|strong="G2513" and|strong="G2532" good|strong="G1510".