1 |
James, a
servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which
are
scattered abroad, greeting.
2My
brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers
temptations; 3Knowing this, that the trying of your
faith
worketh patience. 4But let patience have her
perfect work,
that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5If 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. 6But let him ask
in
faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea
driven
with the wind and tossed. 7For let not that man think that
he shall
receive any thing of the Lord. 8A double minded man is
unstable in all his ways. 9Let the brother of low degree
rejoice in
that he is exalted: 10But the rich, in that he is made low:
because
as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. 11For 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. 12Blessed 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. 13Let
no man say
when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with
evil,
neither tempteth he any man: 14But every man is tempted,
when he is
drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust
hath
conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished,
bringeth forth
death. 16Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17Every
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. 18Of
his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a
kind of
firstfruits of his creatures.
19Wherefore,
my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to
hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20For the wrath of man
worketh
not the righteousness of God. 21Wherefore lay apart all
filthiness
and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted
word,
which is able to save your souls. 22But be ye doers of the
word, and
not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23For 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: 24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his
way, and
straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25But
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. 26If any man among you seem to be religious,
and
bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s
religion is
vain. 27Pure 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.
2 |
My
brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord
of
glory, with respect of persons. 2For 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; 3And 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: 4Are
ye
not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
5Hearken,
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? 6But
ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you
before the
judgment seats? 7Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by
the which
ye are called? 8If ye fulfil the royal law according to the
scripture,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9But
if ye
have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as
transgressors. 10For whosoever shall keep the whole law,
and yet
offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11For 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. 12So
speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of
liberty. 13For
he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and
mercy
rejoiceth against judgment. 14What doth it profit,
my
brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith
save
him? 15If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of
daily food,
16And 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? 17Even so faith, if it
hath not
works, is dead, being alone. 18Yea, 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. 19Thou believest that there is one God;
thou
doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20But
wilt thou
know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21Was
not
Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his
son upon
the altar? 22Seest thou how faith wrought with his works,
and by
works was faith made perfect? 23And 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. 24Ye
see then
how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25Likewise
also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received
the
messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26For
as the
body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
3 |
My
brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the
greater
condemnation. 2For 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. 3Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths,
that
they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 4Behold
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. 5Even so the tongue is a little
member, and
boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire
kindleth! 6And
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. 7For every kind of
beasts,
and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and
hath
been tamed of mankind: 8But the tongue can no man tame; it
is
an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9Therewith bless we
God, even
the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the
similitude of
God. 10Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and
cursing. My
brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11Doth a
fountain send
forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12Can
the fig
tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can
no
fountain both yield salt water and fresh. 13Who is
a wise man
and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good
conversation
his works with meekness of wisdom. 14But if ye have bitter
envying
and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15This
wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual,
devilish. 16For
where envying and strife is, there is confusion and
every evil
work. 17But 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. 18And
the fruit
of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
4 |
From
whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not
hence, even
of your lusts that war in your members? 2Ye 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. 3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye
ask amiss,
that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4Ye
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. 5Do
ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in
us
lusteth to envy? 6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he
saith, God
resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you. 8Draw
nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye
sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9Be
afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to
mourning, and your
joy to heaviness. 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the
Lord, and
he shall lift you up. 11Speak 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. 12There is one lawgiver, who
is able
to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
13Go 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:
14Whereas
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.
15For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we
shall live,
and do this, or that. 16But now ye rejoice in your
boastings: all
such rejoicing is evil. 17Therefore to him that knoweth to
do good,
and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
5 |
Go to now,
ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come
upon you.
2Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are
motheaten. 3Your
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. 4Behold, 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. 5Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been
wanton;
ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6Ye
have
condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist
you.
7Be
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. 8Be
ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord
draweth nigh.
9Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be
condemned:
behold, the judge standeth before the door. 10Take, my
brethren, the
prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of
suffering
affliction, and of patience. 11Behold, 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. 12But
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. 13Is any among you
afflicted?
let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14Is 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: 15And 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. 16Confess 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. 17Elijah
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. 18And
he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth
her
fruit. 19Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and
one
convert him; 20Let 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.