Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also ^ylay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us ^zrun with ^aendurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the ^bfounder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him ^cendured the cross, despising the shame, and is ^dseated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do Not Grow Weary

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or ^efainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the ^fexhortation that addresses you as sons?

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. ⁱGod is treating you as sons. For ^jwhat son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father ^kof spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that ^lwe may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the ^mpeaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been ⁿtrained by it.

12 Therefore ^olift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 ^pStrive for peace with everyone, and for the ^qholiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ^r“root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is ^ssexually immoral or unholy like Esau, ^twho sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that ^uafterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

18 For you have not come to what may be touched, ^va blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the ^wsound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers ^xbeg that no further messages be spoken to them. 20 For they could not endure the order that was given, ^y“If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ^z“I tremble with fear.” 22 But you have come to Mount ^aZion and to the ^bcity of the ^cliving God, the ^dheavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly¹ of the firstborn who are ^eenrolled in heaven, and to God, the ^fjudge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous ^gmade perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the ^hmediator of a ⁱnew covenant, and to the ^jsprinkled blood that speaks a better word than ^kthe blood of ^lAbel.

25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not ^mescape when they refused him who warned them on earth, ⁿmuch less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26 ^oAt that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ^p“Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a ^qkingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for ^rour God is a consuming fire.

Sacrifices Pleasing to God

13 Let ^sbrotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show ^thospitality to strangers, for thereby some have ^uentertained angels unawares. 3 Remember those who are ^vin prison, ^was though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. 4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the ^xsexually immoral and ^yadulterous. 5 Keep your life free from ^zlove of money, and be ^acontent with what you have, for he has said, ^b“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,

7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and ^dimitate their faith. 8 ^eJesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. 10 ^fWe have an altar from which those who serve the tent¹ have no right to eat. 11 For ^gthe bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered ^houtside the gate in order to ⁱsanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the ^jreproach he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the ^kcity that is ^lto come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a ^msacrifice of praise to God, that is, the ⁿfruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to ^oshare what you have, for such ^psacrifices are pleasing to God.

17 ^qObey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a ^rclear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. 19 I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Benediction

20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, ^sthe great ^tshepherd of the sheep, ^uby the blood of the ^veternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, ^wworking in us² that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

22 I appeal to you, brothers,³ bear with my word of ^xexhortation, for I have written to you briefly. 23 You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. 24 Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. 25 Grace be with all of you.

James

Greeting

1 ^aJames, a ^bservant¹ of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the ^cDispersion:

Greetings.

Testing of Your Faith

2 ^dCount it all joy, my brothers,² when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you ^eknow that the ^ftesting of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be ^gperfect and ^hcomplete, lacking in nothing.

5 If any of you lacks ⁱwisdom, let him ^jask God, who gives generously to all ^kwithout reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, ^lwith no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and ^mtossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a ⁿdouble-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

9 ^oLet the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the ^prich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass³ he will pass away. 11 For the ^qsun rises with its scorching heat and withers the ^rgrass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

12 ^sBlessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the ^tcrown of life, which God has promised to those who ^ulove him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being ^vtempted 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 ^wby his own ^xdesire. 15 Then desire ^ywhen it has conceived gives birth to sin, and ^zsin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

16 ^aDo not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 ^bEvery good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is ^cno variation or shadow due to change.⁴ 18 Of his own will he ^dbrought us forth ^eby the ^fword of truth, that we should be a kind of ^gfirstfruits of his creatures.

Hearing and Doing the Word

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be ^hquick to hear, ⁱslow to speak, ^jslow to anger; 20 ^kfor the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the ^limplanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be ^mdoers of the word, and ⁿnot hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the ^olaw of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be ^pblessed in his doing.

26 ^qIf anyone thinks he is religious and does not ^rbridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit ^sorphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

The Sin of Partiality

2 My brothers,^{1 t}show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the ^uLord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, ^vhas not God chosen ^wthose who are poor in the world to be ^xrich in faith and ^yheirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who ^zblaspheme the honorable ^aname by which you were called?

8 If you really fulfill the ^broyal law according to the Scripture, ^c“You shall ^dlove your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the ^ewhole law but ^ffails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, ^g“Do not commit adultery,” also said, ^h“Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the ⁱlaw of liberty. 13 ^jFor judgment is ^kwithout mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith Without Works Is Dead

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has ^lfaith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 ^mIf a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good² is that? 17 So also ⁿfaith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith ^oby my works. 19 You believe that ^pGod is one; you do well. Even the ^qdemons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not ^rAbraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that ^sfaith was active along with his works, and ^tfaith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ^u“Abraham believed God, and it was ^vcounted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a ^wfriend of God. 24 You see that a person is ^xjustified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also ^yRahab the prostitute justified by works ^zwhen she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Taming the Tongue

3 ^aNot many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 ^bFor we all ^cstumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to ^dbridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it ^eboasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a ^ffire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, ^gstaining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,¹ and set on fire by hell.² 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, ^hfull of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are ⁱmade in the likeness of God. 10 ^jFrom the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,³ these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 ^kCan a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Wisdom from Above

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter ^ljealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, ^mdo not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the ⁿwisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, ^odemonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be ^pdisorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of ^qmercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a ^rharvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who ^smake peace.