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.