Chapter 1 |
| 1 I, James, am a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I greet all the Jews from the twelve tribes of Israel who believe in Jesus and who are scattered throughout different countries around the world. |
| 2 My brothers, do not become discouraged when you face different trials and difficulties. Instead, go through them with great joy. |
| 3 You should know that during difficult times your faith is tested, and through this you learn to be more patient. |
| 4 Patience develops strong character so that you can become spiritually mature and steadfast people who stand firm and have no flaws. |
| 5 If any of you lack wisdom, ask God, and He will answer your prayer. God does not rebuke anyone and generously gives wisdom to everyone who asks Him for it. |
| 6 But the one who asks God for wisdom must do it with faith and without any doubt. The one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that rises and falls with every gust of wind. |
| 7 Such a person should not even expect to receive anything from the Lord. |
| 8 A person with conflicting thoughts trusts God one moment and then begins to doubt again. He lacks inner stability, so he is constantly changing his decisions. |
| 9 If a believer is poor, let him rejoice because God has lifted him up in Christ and made him spiritually rich. |
| 10 But if a believer is rich, he should not be proud of it. Instead, he should remember that his life on earth is short, and he will fade away like a wildflower. |
| 11 When the sun rises and the heat becomes intense, the grass dries up. Then the flowers wither, and all their beauty disappears. In the same way, one day a rich person will pass away, despite everything he does and all that keeps him busy. |
| 12 Blessed is the one who goes through trials and does not lose faith. When the trials are over, God will reward him. And he will receive eternal life that the Lord has promised to give to those who love Him. |
| 13 When a person faces temptation or enticement, he should not say, “It is God who is pushing me to sin.” God has nothing to do with evil, and He does not push anyone to do wrong. |
| 14 But each person gives in to his own sinful desires. These desires take hold of him and gain control over him. |
| 15 And when a person follows his sinful desires, sin is born. And when sin is committed, it brings death. |
| 16 My dear brothers, do not deceive yourselves. |
| 17 Everything good and perfect comes to us from above, from God, our Heavenly Father. He is the source of light, not evil. God never changes, and in Him there is not even a shadow of change. |
| 18 By His will God has given us new life through His true Word, so that we might become special people among all His creation, like the firstfruits that belong to God. |
| 19 So, my dear brothers, each person should listen more, speak less, and not be quick to anger. |
| 20 When a person acts in anger, he cannot do what is right before God. |
| 21 So, get rid of everything that defiles you, and stop doing evil. With an open heart, receive God's Word that has been planted in your hearts, because this Word can save your souls. |
| 22 Don't just listen to God's Word but also do what it says. Otherwise, you will deceive yourselves. |
| 23 The one who listens to God's Word but doesn't put it into practice is like a man who looks at his reflection in a mirror. |
| 24 He looks at himself, walks away from the mirror, and immediately forgets what he looks like. |
| 25 God's Word is the perfect law that brings freedom. The one who carefully studies this law and lives by it doesn't just listen to God's Word and then immediately forget what it says, but he proves his faith by his actions. Such a person will be blessed in everything he does. |
| 26 If a person considers himself a believer but he does not watch what he says, he deceives himself. Such faith has no value. |
| 27 God is our Father. So, we care for orphans and widows and help them when they are in need. We also keep ourselves from the evil of this world. In this way, we show by our actions that our faith is real and sincere. |
Chapter 2 |
| 1 My brothers, you believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. So, do not judge people by their appearance, wealth, or social status. |
| 2 Imagine that two people come to your meeting. One of them is rich. He has gold rings and is wearing expensive clothes. The other one is poor. He is wearing dirty clothes. |
| 3 Then you pay special attention to the man in expensive clothes and say to him, “Sit here in a good seat.” But to the poor man you say, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here at my feet.” |
| 4 If you act this way, you are judging people by their appearance or social status and treating them unfairly. |
| 5 Listen, my dear brothers. God has chosen those whom the world considers poor. He has made them rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom that He has promised to give to those who love Him. |
| 6 But you treat the poor with contempt. Don't the rich oppress you and sue you? |
| 7 Don't they dishonor the good name of Christ, in whom you believe? |
| 8 Scripture says, "Love another person as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39). If you live by this law of God's Kingdom, you are doing what is right. |
| 9 But if you judge people by their appearance or social status, you are sinning and breaking God's law. |
| 10 The one who keeps the whole law but breaks even one of its commandments is just as guilty as if he had broken the entire law. |
| 11 For God did not only say, "Do not be unfaithful in marriage," but He also said, "Do not murder." So if you are faithful to your spouse but take another person's life, you still become a lawbreaker before God. |
| 12 Remember that one day you will have to answer to God for everything you say and do. So, live by God's law that gives freedom from sin. |
| 13 If a person does not show kindness and compassion to others, he should not expect kindness and compassion in return. God loves to show mercy more than to judge and punish. So, He wants us to treat others with mercy, not with condemnation. |
| 14 My brothers, what is the point if a person says that he believes in God but he does not prove his faith by his actions? Can such faith save him? |
| 15 Imagine that a brother or sister in Christ does not even have the most basic clothing and has nothing to eat. |
| 16 And you say to them, "Go in peace. May you have warm clothing and enough food." But what is the point if you do nothing to help them? |
| 17 Just as kind words are useless without helping someone in need, so faith is meaningless without good deeds. If a person does not prove his faith by his actions, such faith is dead. |
| 18 But someone may say, “For one person, the main thing is faith, and for another one, it is actions.” Then I will answer, “You cannot show me your faith if you have no actions. But I can show you my faith because I prove it by my actions.” |
| 19 Do you believe that there is only one God? That is good. But even the demons believe that and tremble with fear before God. |
| 20 Foolish person, don't you realize that faith without actions is dead? |
| 21 Abraham is our father. He showed us what true faith is. When he offered his son Isaac on the altar, he proved by his actions the righteousness that he had received from God earlier (Genesis 22:1–18). |
| 22 Do you now understand that Abraham's faith and his actions worked together? He did not just believe, but he also proved his faith by his actions. And because of his actions, Abraham's faith became complete and mature. |
| 23 In this way, the words of Scripture were fulfilled: "Abraham believed God, and God gave him His righteousness." That is why God called Abraham His friend (Genesis 15:6, 2 Chronicles 20:7, Isaiah 41:8). |
| 24 Do you see now that a person cannot be considered righteous just because he talks about his faith? A person must prove his faith by his actions. |
| 25 Another example is Rahab from the city of Jericho. She did not belong to the people of Israel, and she was a prostitute. But she heard about God and believed in Him. When the Israelite spies came to her house, she hid them from the men sent by the king of Jericho and helped the spies leave by another road. By this action, she showed her faith, and God declared her righteous (Joshua 2:1–24; 6:22–25). |
| 26 So as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without actions is dead. |
Chapter 3 |
| 1 My brothers, not many of you should become teachers. Remember that God judges more strictly those who teach others. |
| 2 We all commit many sins and make many mistakes. The one who never says more than necessary or anything that he later regrets has become a spiritually mature person. And he can keep himself under control — his thoughts, desires, actions, and body. |
| 3 Look at a horse. When we put a bridle on it and a bit in its mouth, it becomes obedient. Then we can control its whole body and direct it wherever we want it to go. |
| 4 Look at a ship as well. Strong winds carry it across the waves, but a small rudder directs the huge ship wherever the captain wants it to go. |
| 5 Look at the human tongue as well. It is a small part of the body, but it can do so much! Just as a single small spark can set an entire forest on fire, so the tongue can cause great harm. |
| 6 The tongue is like fire. A whole world of evil is hidden in it. The tongue is the part of a person's body that can defile his whole body. The tongue is set on fire by hell itself. And it can start a fire that destroys a person's entire life. |
| 7 People can tame all kinds of wild animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures. And they have already tamed many of them. |
| 8 But no one can tame his tongue and keep it under control. The tongue is a source of constant evil, and it is full of deadly poison. |
| 9 God is our Father. And we praise Him with our tongue. But then with the same tongue we curse people whom God created in His image. |
| 10 With the same tongue we speak words of blessing and words of cursing. My brothers, this is not right. |
| 11 Does the same spring produce both fresh water and salt water? |
| 12 My brothers, can a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Of course not. In the same way, one spring cannot produce both fresh water and salt water. |
| 13 If you are truly wise and understanding, it will be evident from your actions. Wisdom is shown through kindness to others and humble behavior. |
| 14 But if there is bitter envy in your heart and a desire to exalt yourself above others, do not boast about yourself or call this wisdom. Otherwise, you will lie and go against the truth. |
| 15 Envy and selfishness have nothing in common with the wisdom that comes from God. Instead, this is false, earthly wisdom. It comes from sinful human nature and the forces of evil. |
| 16 When people envy one another and strive to be above others, then quarrels, disorder, and all kinds of evil arise. |
| 17 If a person has wisdom that comes from God, then first of all, he will have pure intentions. So, such a person will be peace-loving, kind, and caring. He will show compassion to others and do much good. He will treat everyone fairly and act sincerely. |
| 18 The one who seeks peace and helps others live in peace sows seeds of goodness and encourages others to do what is right. And this will produce good fruit. |
Chapter 4 |
| 1 Why do you fight and quarrel with one another? It all begins with your selfish desires. They take over and cause these conflicts. |
| 2 You want to get what you don't have, but still you can't get it. You are so jealous of others that you are even ready to kill, but still you can't achieve what you want. You quarrel and fight with one another, but still you gain nothing because you don't ask God for help. |
| 3 But even when you ask God, still you get nothing, because your motives are wrong. You want to satisfy your selfish desires. |
| 4 You, unfaithful husbands and wives, and those who give themselves over to sexual immorality! Don't you realize that friendship with this world makes a person God's enemy? Whoever wants to be a friend of this world and live by its values becomes God's enemy. |
| 5 Don't you know how much God loves us and how jealous He is for us? All Scripture speaks about this. God's Spirit lives in our hearts, and He wants us to belong only to Him. |
| 6 But God not only loves us and wants us to be faithful to Him. He generously gives us His grace so that we can do what is right. That is why Scripture says, “God gives His grace to the one who submits to Him and humbles himself before Him. But He opposes the one who trusts only in himself and puts himself above others.” |
| 7 So, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. |
| 8 Take a step toward God, and He will take a step toward you. If you are still living in sin, stop doing evil. If you still have not made a choice between God and this world, put your heart in order. |
| 9 Realize how serious your sins are. Weep and mourn over them. Let your laughter turn into mourning, and your joy turn into sorrow. |
| 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. |
| 11 God's law teaches us to love one another. So, brothers, do not speak against another person in a way that dishonors him. The one who speaks negatively about his brother or thinks that he has the right to judge him goes against God's law and, and in this way he judges the law itself. But the one who judges God's law no longer obeys it. Instead, he takes on the role of a judge. |
| 12 But only God has the right to make laws and judge people. Only He has the right to declare a person righteous and save him or, on the contrary, to pass final judgment on him and destroy him. And who are you to put yourself in God's place and judge another person? |
| 13 Now listen to me, you who confidently say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go to a certain city. We'll stay there for a year, do business, and make a profit." |
| 14 You make plans as if you have complete control over your future. But you don't even know what will happen tomorrow. Think about what your life is like. It is like the morning fog that appears for a little while and then disappears. |
| 15 So, you should say this: “Our lives are in the Lord's hands. If it is God's will, we will do what we have planned.” |
| 16 You boast about your plans and rely only on yourselves, not on God. But such self-confidence is wrong and leads to evil. |
| 17 If a person knows what is right to do or what good he should do, but he does not do it, he sins. |
Chapter 5 |
| 1 Now listen to me, you who are rich. Weep and mourn because of the disasters that will soon come upon you. |
| 2 Your wealth will become worthless, and moths will eat your clothes. |
| 3 Your gold and silver will become as worthless as metal covered with rust. And this will show that you only thought about becoming rich. The consequences of your greed will be as destructive as fire that destroys everything in its path. In these last days, you should think about God and the consequences of your actions. But instead, you continue to accumulate wealth. |
| 4 You never paid the workers who labored in your fields. And what you still owe them shows that you have acted unjustly. But the Lord Almighty has heard the complaints of these workers and their cries for help. |
| 5 You lived in luxury and satisfied your every desire. You behaved like cattle that are being fattened for slaughter. |
| 6 You have condemned and killed the righteous Man, and He did not resist you. |
| 7 Brothers, be patient until the Lord comes. Look at the farmer. How patiently he waits for the autumn and spring rain so that he may gather a precious harvest in its season! |
| 8 You also should be patient. Don't let difficulties shake your faith, because the Lord will soon return. |
| 9 Brothers, don't get irritated and don't grumble against one another, otherwise God will judge you for it. Remember that He is the Judge of all people. And He is already so near, as if He is standing at the door. |
| 10 My brothers, follow the example of the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Like you, they went through suffering and injustice, but they patiently endured it all and remained faithful to God. |
| 11 We consider those who do not give up in times of testing to be worthy of respect. You know that Job is one such person. He endured severe suffering, but he showed great patience. In the end, the Lord blessed Job richly and showed that He is full of compassion and kindness (Job 42:10-17). |
| 12 My brothers, above all, do not swear by heaven or earth or anything else to convince people that you are telling the truth. Be honest: let your “yes” mean yes and your “no” mean no. Then God will not judge you for your words. |
| 13 When you suffer or go through difficulties, pray to God. But when you are joyful, sing to God and praise Him with songs. |
| 14 If someone among you is sick, let him call the church elders. They will anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord and pray for him. |
| 15 Such a prayer, spoken in faith, will bring healing to the sick person, and the Lord will restore his health. And if a person has sinned, then the Lord will forgive his sins. |
| 16 That is why confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. God hears the prayer of a believer who is eager to do what is right and answers such a prayer. That is why such a prayer has great power and can change many things. |
| 17 Elijah was a believer just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and there was a drought in the land for three and a half years. |
| 18 Then he prayed again. After this, it rained, and the land began to produce crops again. |
| 19 My brothers, suppose you help a person who has turned away from the truth to return to God. |
| 20 Then know this: the one who turns such a person back from the wrong path saves his soul from death. When that person returns to God, God forgives all his sins. |