OF JAMES
[1] JAMES, bondman of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes :in the Dispersion, greeting.1
[2] Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations;2 [3] knowing that the proving of your :faith worketh patience.3 [4] But let patience3 have perfect work, that ye be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.
[5] But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of :God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. [6] But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for who doubteth is like a sea wave, driven by wind and tossed. [7] For let not that :man think that4 he shall receive anything of the Lord; [8] a doubleminded man, unstable in all his :ways.
[9] But let the brother of :low degree glory in his :exaltation: [10] and the rich, in his humiliation: because as a flower of the grass he shall pass away. [11] For the sun ariseth5 with the scorching wind, and withereth5 the grass; and the flower thereof falleth,5 and the grace of the fashion6 of it perisheth:5 so also shall the rich man fade away in his :goings.
[12] Blessed the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of :life, which the Lord promised to them that love him. [13] Let no one say when tempted, I am tempted from God; for :God is unversed7 in evil, and he himself tempteth no one: [14] but each one is tempted,8 when drawn away by his own :lust, and enticed. [15] Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when fullgrown, bringeth forth death. [16] Be not deceived, my beloved brethren. [17] Every good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of :lights, with whom is no variation, neither shadow cast by turning. [18] Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we be a kind of firstfruits of his :creatures.
[19] Ye9 know this, my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to :hear, slow to :speak, slow to wrath: [20] for man's wrath worketh not God's righteousness. [21] Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness,10 receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your :souls. [22] But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. [23] For if any is hearer of the word and not doer, he is like a man beholding his11 natural face in a mirror: [24] for he beholdeth5 himself, and goeth5 away, and straightway forgetteth5 what manner of man he was. [25] But who looketh12 into the perfect law, the law of :liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth13 but a doer of work, this man shall be blessed in his :doing. [26] If any thinketh14 himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his own tongue but deceiveth his own heart, this man's :religion is vain. [27] Pure religion and undefiled before our :God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless15 and widows in their :affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
[1] My brethren, hold1 not the faith of our :Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of :glory, with respect of persons. [2] For if there come into your :synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine2 clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing; [3] and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine2 :clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man, Thou stand or sit there under my :footstool; [4] do3 ye not make distinctions among4 yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? [5] Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not :God choose the poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him? [6] But ye have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before judgment-seats? [7] Do not they blaspheme the honorable name by5 which ye are called? [8] Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy :neighbor as thyself, ye do well: [9] but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. [10] For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, is become guilty of all. [11] For who said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become transgressor of the law. [12] So speak ye, and so do, as those to be judged by a law of liberty. [13] For :judgment is without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment.
[14] What doth it profit, my brethren, if one say he hath faith, but have not works? can the faith save him? [15] If a brother or sister be naked, and lacking daily :food, [16] and one of you say to them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit? [17] Even so :faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. [18] But one will say, Thou6 hast faith, and I6 have works: show me thy :faith apart from thy :works, and I by my :works will show thee my :faith. [19] Thou6 believest that God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder. [20] But wilt thou know, O vain man, that :faith apart from :works is barren? [21] Was not Abraham our :father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his :son upon the altar? [22] Thou seest that :faith wrought with his :works, and by :works was :faith made perfect; [23] and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And he—Abraham—believed :God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness; and he was called friend of God. [24] Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith alone. [25] And likewise was not also Raab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers,7 and sent them out another way? [26] As the body apart from spirit is dead, even so :faith apart from works is dead.
[1] Be not many teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive greater condemnation. [2] For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole :body also. [3] Now if we put the horses' :bridles into their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about their whole :body also. [4] Lo, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the steersman willeth. [5] So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Lo, how1 much wood is kindled by how small a fire! [6] And the tongue is a fire: the world of :iniquity among our :members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the path2 of :nature,3 and is set on fire by :geenna. [7] For every kind4 of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by5 mankind:6 [8] but the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison. [9] Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we :men, who are made after the likeness of God: [10] out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. [11] Doth the fountain send forth from the same :opening the sweet and the bitter? [12] can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? neither can salt water yield sweet.
[13] Who is wise and understanding among you? let him show by his good :conduct his :works in meekness of wisdom. [14] But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your :heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. [15] This :wisdom is not one that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual,7 demonish. [16] For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed. [17] But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance,8 without hypocrisy. [18] And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for9 them that make peace.
[1] Whence come wars and whence come fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your :pleasures that war in your :members? [2] Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and are jealous and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not. [3] Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your :pleasures. [4] Ye adulteresses,1 know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with :God? Whosoever therefore would be friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of :God. [5] Or think ye that the scripture speaketh2 in vain? Doth3 the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying? [6] But he giveth greater grace. Wherefore the scripture saith, :God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. [7] Be subject therefore unto :God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Draw nigh to :God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your :hands, ye sinners; and purify your :hearts, ye doubleminded. [9] Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your :laughter be turned to mourning, and your :joy to heaviness. [10] Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you.
[11] Speak not one against another, brethren. Who speaketh against a brother, or judgeth his :brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not doer of the law, but judge. [12] One is the lawgiver and judge, even he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy :neighbor?
[13] Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into this :city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain: [14] whereas ye know not what is your :life on the morrow. For ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then disappeareth. [15] For4 that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that. [16] But now ye glory in your :vauntings: all such glorying is evil. [17] To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
[1] Come now, ye :rich, weep and howl for your :miseries that are coming upon you. [2] Your :riches are corrupted, and your :garments are moth-eaten. [3] Your :gold and your :silver are rusted; and their :rust shall be for a testimony against you,1 and shall eat your :flesh2 as fire. Ye have laid up treasure in the last days. [4] Lo, the hire of the laborers who mowed your lands, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth out: and the cries of them that reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. [5] Ye have lived delicately on the earth and taken your pleasure; ye have nourished your :hearts in a day of slaughter. [6] Ye have condemned, ye have killed the righteous one; he doth not resist you.
[7] Be patient therefore, brethren, until the presence of the Lord. Lo, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receive the early and latter rain. [8] Be ye also patient; stablish your :hearts: for the presence of the Lord is at hand. [9] Murmur not, brethren, one against another, that ye be not judged: lo, the judge standeth before the doors. [10] Take, brethren, for an example of :suffering and of :patience, the prophets, who spake in the name of the Lord. [11] Lo, we call them blessed that endured: ye have heard of the patience3 of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful.
[12] But above all, my brethren, swear not, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor any other oath: but let4 your :yea be yea, and your :nay, nay; that ye fall not under judgment.
[13] Is any among you suffering? let him pray. Is any cheerful? let him sing praise. [14] Is any among you sick? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing5 him with oil in the name of the Lord: [15] and the prayer of :faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him. [16] Confess therefore your :sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working. [17] Elijah was a man of like passions6 with us, and he prayed fervently7 that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months. [18] And he prayed again; and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her :fruit.
[19] My brethren, if any among you err from the truth, and one convert him; [20] know ye that who converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.