▲1.1 James, bondman of God and
of [the] Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which [are] in the
dispersion, greeting. 1.2 Count
it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into various temptations, 1.3 knowing
that the proving of your faith works endurance. 1.4 But let
endurance have [its] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and complete,
lacking in nothing. 1.5 But if
any one of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all freely
and reproaches not, and it shall be given to him: 1.6 but let
him ask in faith, nothing doubting. For he that doubts is like a wave
of the sea driven by the wind and tossed about; 1.7 for let
not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord; 1.8 [he is]
a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 1.9 But let
the brother of low degree glory in his elevation, 1.10 and
the rich in his humiliation, because as [the] grass's flower he will
pass away. 1.11 For
the sun has risen with its burning heat, and has withered the grass,
and its flower has fallen, and the comeliness of its look has perished:
thus the rich also shall wither in his goings. 1.12
Blessed [is the] man who endures temptation; for, having been proved,
he shall receive the crown of life, which He has promised to them that
love him. 1.13 Let no
man, being tempted, say, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted
by evil things, and himself tempts no one. 1.14 But
every one is tempted, drawn away, and enticed by his own lust; 1.15 then
lust, having conceived, gives birth to sin; but sin fully completed
brings forth death. 1.16 Do not
err, my beloved brethren. 1.17 Every
good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father
of lights, with whom is no variation nor shadow of turning. 1.18
According to his own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we
should be a certain first-fruits of *his* creatures. 1.19 So
that, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to
speak, slow to wrath; 1.20 for
man's wrath does not work God's righteousness. 1.21
Wherefore, laying aside all filthiness and abounding of wickedness,
accept with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your
souls. 1.22 But be
ye doers of [the] word and not hearers only, beguiling yourselves. 1.23 For if
any man be a hearer of [the] word and not a doer, *he* is like to a man
considering his natural face in a mirror: 1.24 for he
has considered himself and is gone away, and straightway he has
forgotten what he was like. 1.25 But
*he* that fixes his view on [the] perfect law, that of liberty, and
abides in [it], being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of [the] work,
*he* shall be blessed in his doing. 1.26 If any
one think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but
deceiving his heart, this man's religion is vain. 1.27 Pure
and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit
orphans and widows in their affliction, to keep oneself unspotted from
the world. ▲2.1 My brethren, do not have
the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [Lord] of glory, with respect of
persons: 2.2 for if
there come unto your synagogue a man with a gold ring in splendid
apparel, and a poor man also come in in vile apparel, 2.3 and ye
look upon him who wears the splendid apparel, and say, Do thou sit here
well, and say to the poor, Do thou stand there, or sit here under my
footstool: 2.4 have ye
not made a difference among yourselves, and become judges having evil
thoughts? 2.5 Hear,
my beloved brethren: Has not God chosen the poor as to the world, rich
in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to them that
love him? 2.6 But
*ye* have despised the poor [man]. Do not the rich oppress you, and [do
not] *they* drag you before [the] tribunals? 2.7 And [do
not] *they* blaspheme the excellent name which has been called upon you? 2.8 If
indeed ye keep [the] royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well. 2.9 But if
ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law
as transgressors. 2.10 For
whoever shall keep the whole law and shall offend in one [point], he
has come under the guilt of [breaking] all. 2.11 For he
who said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not
kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art
become transgressor of [the] law. 2.12 So
speak ye, and so act, as those that are to be judged by [the] law of
liberty; 2.13 for
judgment [will be] without mercy to him that has shewn no mercy. Mercy
glories over judgment. 2.14 What
[is] the profit, my brethren, if any one say he have faith, but have
not works? can faith save him? 2.15 Now if
a brother or a sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 2.16 and
one from amongst you say to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled;
but give not to them the needful things for the body, what [is] the
profit? 2.17 So
also faith, if it have not works, is dead by itself. 2.18 But
some one will say, *Thou* hast faith and *I* have works. Shew me thy
faith without works, and *I* from my works will shew thee my faith. 2.19 *Thou*
believest that God is one. Thou doest well. The demons even believe,
and tremble. 2.20 But
wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 2.21 Was
not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his
son upon the altar? 2.22 Thou
seest that faith wrought with his works, and that by works faith was
perfected. 2.23 And
the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it
was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called Friend of God. 2.24 Ye see
that a man is justified on the principle of works, and not on the
principle of faith only. 2.25 But
was not in like manner also Rahab the harlot justified on the principle
of works, when she had received the messengers and put [them] forth by
another way? 2.26 For as
the body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. ▲3.1 Be not many teachers, my
brethren, knowing that we shall receive greater judgment. 3.2 For we
all often offend. If any one offend not in word, *he* [is] a perfect
man, able to bridle the whole body too. 3.3 Behold,
we put the bits in the mouths of the horses, that they may obey us, and
we turn round their whole bodies. 3.4 Behold
also the ships, which are so great, and driven by violent winds, are
turned about by a very small rudder, wherever the pleasure of the
helmsman will. 3.5 Thus
also the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how
little a fire, how large a wood it kindles! 3.6 and the
tongue [is] fire, the world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set in
our members, the defiler of the whole body, and which sets fire to the
course of nature, and is set on fire of hell. 3.7 For
every species both of beasts and of birds, both of creeping things and
of sea animals, is tamed and has been tamed by the human species; 3.8 but the
tongue can no one among men tame; [it is] an unsettled evil, full of
death-bringing poison. 3.9
Therewith bless we the Lord and Father, and therewith curse we men made
after [the] likeness of God. 3.10 Out of
the same mouth goes forth blessing and cursing. It is not right, my
brethren, that these things should be thus. 3.11 Does
the fountain, out of the same opening, pour forth sweet and bitter? 3.12 Can,
my brethren, a fig produce olives, or a vine figs? Neither [can] salt
[water] make sweet water. 3.13 Who
[is] wise and understanding among you; let him shew out of a good
conversation his works in meekness of wisdom; 3.14 but if
ye have bitter emulation and strife in your hearts, do not boast and
lie against the truth. 3.15 This
is not the wisdom which comes down from above, but earthly, natural,
devilish. 3.16 For
where emulation and strife [are], there [is] disorder and every evil
thing. 3.17 But
the wisdom from above first is pure, then peaceful, gentle, yielding,
full of mercy and good fruits, unquestioning, unfeigned. 3.18 But
[the] fruit of righteousness in peace is sown for them that make peace. ▲4.1 Whence [come] wars and
whence fightings among you? [Is it] not thence, -- from your pleasures,
which war in your members? 4.2 Ye lust
and have not: ye kill and are full of envy, and cannot obtain; ye fight
and war; ye have not because ye ask not. 4.3 Ye ask
and receive not, because ye ask evilly, that ye may consume [it] in
your pleasures. 4.4
Adulteresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with
God? Whoever therefore is minded to be [the] friend of the world is
constituted enemy of God. 4.5 Think
ye that the scripture speaks in vain? Does the Spirit which has taken
his abode in us desire enviously? 4.6 But he
gives more grace. Wherefore he says, God sets himself against [the]
proud, but gives grace to [the] lowly. 4.7 Subject
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you. 4.8 Draw
near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse [your] hands,
sinners, and purify [your] hearts, ye double-minded. 4.9 Be
wretched, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning,
and [your] joy to heaviness. 4.10 Humble
yourselves before [the] Lord, and he shall exalt you. 4.11 Speak
not against one another, brethren. He that speaks against [his]
brother, or judges his brother, speaks against [the] law and judges
[the] law. But if thou judgest [the] law, thou art not doer of [the]
law, but judge. 4.12 One is
the lawgiver and judge, who is able to save and to destroy: but who art
*thou* who judgest thy neighbour? 4.13 Go to
now, ye who say, To-day or to-morrow will we go into such a city and
spend a year there, and traffic and make gain, 4.14 ye who
do not know what will be on the morrow, ([for] what [is] your life? It
is even a vapour, appearing for a little while, and then disappearing,) 4.15
instead of your saying, If the Lord should [so] will and we should
live, we will also do this or that. 4.16 But
now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil. 4.17 To him
therefore who knows how to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin. ▲5.1 Go to now, ye rich, weep,
howling over your miseries that [are] coming upon [you]. 5.2 Your
wealth is become rotten, and your garments moth-eaten. 5.3 Your
gold and silver is eaten away, and their canker shall be for a witness
against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have heaped up
treasure in [the] last days. 5.4 Behold,
the wages of your labourers, who have harvested your fields, wrongfully
kept back by you, cry, and the cries of those that have reaped are
entered into the ears of [the] Lord of sabaoth. 5.5 Ye have
lived luxuriously on the earth and indulged yourselves; ye have
nourished your hearts [as] in a day of slaughter; 5.6 ye have
condemned, ye have killed the just; he does not resist you. 5.7 Have
patience, therefore, brethren, till the coming of the Lord. Behold, the
labourer awaits the precious fruit of the earth, having patience for it
until it receive [the] early and [the] latter rain. 5.8 *Ye*
also have patience: stablish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is
drawn nigh. 5.9
Complain not one against another, brethren, that ye be not judged.
Behold, the judge stands before the door. 5.10 Take
[as] an example, brethren, of suffering and having patience, the
prophets, who have spoken in the name of [the] Lord. 5.11
Behold, we call them blessed who have endured. Ye have heard of the
endurance of Job, and seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is full
of tender compassion and pitiful. 5.12 But
before all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, nor by
the earth, nor by any other oath; but let your yea be yea, and your
nay, nay, that ye do not fall under judgment. 5.13 Does
any one among you suffer evil? let him pray. Is any happy? let him sing
psalms. 5.14 Is any
sick among you? let him call to [him] the elders of the assembly, and
let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of [the]
Lord; 5.15 and
the prayer of faith shall heal the sick, and the Lord shall raise him
up; and if he be one who has committed sins, it shall be forgiven him. 5.16
Confess therefore your offences to one another, and pray for one
another, that ye may be healed. [The] fervent supplication of the
righteous [man] has much power. 5.17 Elias
was a man of like passions to us, and he prayed with prayer that it
should not rain; and it did not rain upon the earth three years and six
months; 5.18 and
again he prayed, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth caused its
fruit to spring forth. 5.19 My
brethren, if any one among you err from the truth, and one bring him
back, 5.20 let
him know that he that brings back a sinner from [the] error of his way
shall save a soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins.