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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>James 1 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/james/1.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/james/1-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > James 1</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../hebrews/13.htm" title="Hebrews 13">◄</a> James 1 <a href="../james/2.htm" title="James 2">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><p class="par"><span class="v59_1_1"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.1" class="v59_1_1">1</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Jas.1.1!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> From James, a servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v59_1_1">Greetings to the twelve tribes scattered all over the world.<a href="#fn" id="link_Jas.1.1!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><h3 class="s1">Faith and Wisdom</h3><p class="par"><span class="v59_1_2"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.2" class="v59_1_2">2</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Jas.1.2!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. </span><span class="v59_1_3"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.3" class="v59_1_3">3</span>You know you learn to endure by having your faith tested. </span><span class="v59_1_4"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.4" class="v59_1_4">4</span>But you must learn to endure everything, so you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v59_1_5"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.5" class="v59_1_5">5</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Jas.1.5!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won't correct you for asking. </span><span class="v59_1_6"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.6" class="v59_1_6">6</span>But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. </span><span class="v59_1_7"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.7-Jas.1.8" class="v59_1_7">7-8</span>If you are that kind of person, you can't make up your mind, and you surely can't be trusted. So don't expect the Lord to give you anything at all.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Poor People and Rich People</h3><p class="par"><span class="v59_1_9"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.9" class="v59_1_9">9</span>Any of God's people who are poor should be glad he thinks so highly of them. </span><span class="v59_1_10"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.10" class="v59_1_10">10</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Jas.1.10!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> But any who are rich should be glad when God makes them humble. Rich people will disappear like wild flowers </span><span class="v59_1_11"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.11" class="v59_1_11">11</span>scorched by the burning heat of the sun. The flowers lose their blossoms, and their beauty is destroyed. This is how the rich will disappear, as they go about their business.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Trials and Temptations</h3><p class="par"><span class="v59_1_12"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.12" class="v59_1_12">12</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Jas.1.12!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> God will bless you, if you don't give up when your faith is being tested. He will reward you with a glorious life,<a href="#fn" id="link_Jas.1.12!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> just as he rewards everyone who loves him.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v59_1_13"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.13" class="v59_1_13">13</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Jas.1.13!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> Don't blame God when you are tempted! God cannot be tempted by evil, and he doesn't use evil to tempt others. </span><span class="v59_1_14"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.14" class="v59_1_14">14</span>We are tempted by our own desires that drag us off and trap us. </span><span class="v59_1_15"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.15" class="v59_1_15">15</span>Our desires make us sin, and when sin is finished with us, it leaves us dead.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v59_1_16"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.16" class="v59_1_16">16</span>Don't be fooled, my dear friends. </span><span class="v59_1_17"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.17" class="v59_1_17">17</span>Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing. </span><span class="v59_1_18"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.18" class="v59_1_18">18</span>He wanted us to be his own special people,<a href="#fn" id="link_Jas.1.18!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> and so he sent the true message to give us new birth.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Hearing and Obeying</h3><p class="par"><span class="v59_1_19"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.19" class="v59_1_19">19</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Jas.1.19!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. </span><span class="v59_1_20"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.20" class="v59_1_20">20</span>If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things God wants done. </span><span class="v59_1_21"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.21" class="v59_1_21">21</span>You must stop doing anything immoral or evil. Instead be humble and accept the message planted in you to save you.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v59_1_22"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.22" class="v59_1_22">22</span>Obey God's message! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it. </span><span class="v59_1_23"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.23" class="v59_1_23">23</span>If you hear the message and don't obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror </span><span class="v59_1_24"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.24" class="v59_1_24">24</span>and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. </span><span class="v59_1_25"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.25" class="v59_1_25">25</span>But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don't just hear and forget.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v59_1_26"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.26" class="v59_1_26">26</span>If you think you are being religious, but can't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is useless. </span><span class="v59_1_27"><span class="reftext" id="Jas.1.27" class="v59_1_27">27</span>Religion that pleases God the Father must be pure and spotless. You must help needy orphans and widows and not let this world make you evil.</span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">1.1 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">twelve tribes scattered all over the world: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">James is saying that the Lord's followers are like the tribes of Israel that were scattered everywhere by their enemies.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">1.12 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">a glorious life: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">The Greek text has “the crown of life.” In ancient times an athlete who had won a contest was rewarded with a crown of flowers as a sign of victory.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">1.18 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">his own special people: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">The Greek text has “the first of his creatures.” The Law of Moses taught that the first-born of all animals and the first part of the harvest were special and belonged to the Lord.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. 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