1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 9Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: 10But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. 11For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 12Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 13Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. 27Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
1我是做上帝和主耶稣基督奴仆的雅各，问候散居各地的十二支派的人。
信心和忍耐
2我的弟兄姊妹，当你们遭遇各种磨炼的时候，都要认为是喜乐的事。 3要知道你们的信心经过考验会产生坚忍。 4你们要坚忍到底，使你们纯全、完备、毫无缺欠。
5如果你们谁缺少智慧，就当求慷慨施恩、不责备人的上帝，上帝必赐给他智慧。 6-8但他要凭信心毫不疑惑地祈求，因为疑惑的人三心二意，行事为人没有定见，就像海上随风翻腾的波涛，这种人从主那里什么也得不到。
9卑微的弟兄高升，应当快乐。 10富有的弟兄降卑，也要快乐，因为他会像花草一样衰残。 11骄阳升起，草就干枯，花也凋谢，美丽就消失了。富有的人在忙忙碌碌中也会如此衰残。
12在试炼中能够忍耐到底的人有福了，因为他若经得起考验，就会得到主应许赐给爱祂之人的生命冠冕。 13当人受到诱惑时，不可说：“是上帝在诱惑我。”因为上帝不受邪恶的诱惑，也不诱惑人。 14其实每个受到诱惑的人都是受自己的私欲怂恿和诱惑。 15私欲怀了胎，便生出罪，罪一旦长成，便带来死亡。
16我亲爱的弟兄姊妹，不要上当受骗。 17一切良善的施予和完美的恩赐都是从天上，从众光之父那里来的。祂不像转动的影子变幻无常。 18祂按照自己的旨意，借着真道重生了我们，使我们在祂所造的万物之中好像初熟的果实。
听道与行道
19我亲爱的弟兄姊妹，请记住：每个人都要快快地听，慢慢地说，慢慢地动怒。 20因为人的愤怒不能成就上帝的公义。 21所以你们要除去所有的污秽和一切的恶习，谦卑地领受那已经栽种在你们心里、能救你们灵魂的真道。
22你们要行道，不要只是听道，自己欺骗自己。 23因为人听道而不行道，就像照镜子一样， 24看过后就走了，随即忘记了自己的容貌。 25但详细查考那使人得自由的全备律法并且持之以恒的人，不是听了就忘，而是身体力行，这样的人必在他所行的事上蒙福。
26如果有人自以为虔诚，却不勒住自己的舌头，就等于是自己欺骗自己，他的所谓虔诚也毫无价值。 27在父上帝看来，纯洁无暇的虔诚是指照顾患难中的孤儿寡妇，并且不让自己被世俗玷污。
