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James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the
twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers
temptations;
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect
and entire, wanting nothing.
If 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.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that
wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and
tossed.
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of
the Lord.
A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of
the grass he shall pass away.
For 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.
Blessed 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.
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God
cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own
lust, and enticed.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin,
when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Every 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.
Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we
should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear,
slow to speak, slow to wrath:
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of
naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word,
which is able to save your souls.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
your own selves.
For 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:
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway
forgetteth what manner of man he was.
But 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.
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his
tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is
vain.
Pure 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.
My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in
goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile
raiment;
And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and
say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the
poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of
evil thoughts?
Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of
this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he
hath promised to them that love him?
But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and
draw you before the judgment seats?
Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are
called?
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are
convinced of the law as transgressors.
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one
point, he is guilty of all.
For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not
kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou
art become a transgressor of the law.
So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law
of liberty.
For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no
mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath
faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and
filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are
needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me
thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by
my works.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the
devils also believe, and tremble.
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is
dead?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had
offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was
faith made perfect?
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed
God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was
called the Friend of God.
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by
faith only.
Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when
she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another
way?
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without
works is dead also.
My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive
the greater condemnation.
For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in
word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the
whole body.
Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey
us; and we turn about their whole body.
Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are
driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very
small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great
things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue
among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth
on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of
things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of
deadly poison.
Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we
men, which are made after the similitude of God.
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My
brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and
bitter?
Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a
vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him
shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of
wisdom.
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory
not, and lie not against the truth.
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual,
devilish.
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every
evil work.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and
good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that
make peace.
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not
hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot
obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may
consume it upon your lusts.
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship
of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a
friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that
dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the
proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your
hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned
to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift
you up.
Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil
of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the
law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art
not a doer of the law, but a judge.
There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who
art thou that judgest another?
Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into
such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and
get gain:
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is
your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little
time, and then vanisheth away.
For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and
do this, or that.
But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is
evil.
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to
him it is sin.
Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that
shall come upon you.
Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be
a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were
fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your
fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the
cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of
the Lord of sabaoth.
Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye
have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist
you.
Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the
earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the
early and latter rain.
Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the
Lord draweth nigh.
Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned:
behold, the judge standeth before the door.
Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of
the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of
patience.
Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the
patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the
Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by
heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but
let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into
condemnation.
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him
sing psalms.
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the
church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in
the name of the Lord:
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall
raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be
forgiven him.
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another,
that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a
righteous man availeth much.
Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he
prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on
the earth by the space of three years and six months.
And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth
brought forth her fruit.
Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert
him;
Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the
error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a
multitude of sins.
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