12. When a person is tempted and still continues strong, he should be happy. After he has proved his faith, God will reward him with life forever. God promised this to all people who love him.
13. When someone is being tempted, he should not say, “God is tempting me.” Evil cannot tempt God, and God himself does not tempt anyone.
14. It is the evil that a person wants that tempts him. His own evil desire leads him away and holds him.
15. This desire causes sin. Then the sin grows and brings death.
16. My dear brothers, do not be fooled about this.
17. Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars. God does not change like their shifting shadows.
18. God decided to give us life through the word of truth. He wanted us to be the most important of all the things he made.
19. My dear brothers, always be willing to listen and slow to speak. Do not become angry easily.
20. Anger will not help you live a good life as God wants.
21. So put out of your life every evil thing and every kind of wrong you do. Don’t be proud but accept God’s teaching that is planted in your hearts. This teaching can save your souls.
22. Do what God’s teaching says; do not just listen and do nothing. When you only sit and listen, you are fooling yourselves.
23. A person who hears God’s teaching and does nothing is like a man looking in a mirror.
24. He sees his face, then goes away and quickly forgets what he looked like.
25. But the truly happy person is the one who carefully studies God’s perfect law that makes people free. He continues to study it. He listens to God’s teaching and does not forget what he heard. Then he obeys what God’s teaching says. When he does this, it makes him happy.
26. A person might think he is religious. But if he says things he should not say, then he is just fooling himself. His “religion” is worth nothing.
27. Religion that God the Father accepts is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help; and keeping yourself free from the world’s evil influence. This is the kind of religion that God accepts as pure and good.