King James Bible
"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;"
James addresses fellow believers with familial warmth, establishing his pastoral authority while emphasizing the shared bond of faith. This opening reflects the letter's audience of Jewish Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire facing persecution. James commands a radical reframing of perspective—to consider trials as occasions for complete joy, not partial or grudging acceptance. This counterintuitive response echoes Jesus' teaching in the Beatitudes about rejoicing in persecution. The Greek word for 'temptations' (peirasmos) primarily means trials or tests rather than enticements to sin. 'Divers' (various) indicates multiple forms of hardship, while 'fall into' suggests these trials come unexpectedly, like stumbling into a trap.