| 001:001
| James,
a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are
scattered abroad, greeting. |
| 001:002 | My
brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; |
| 001:003 | Knowing
this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. |
| 001:004 | But
let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting
nothing. |
| 001:005 | 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. |
| 001:006 | 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. |
| 001:007 | For
let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. |
| 001:008 | A
double minded man is unstable in all his ways. |
| 001:009 | Let
the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: |
| 001:010 | But
the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall
pass away. |
| 001:011 | 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. |
| 001:012 | 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. |
| 001:013 | 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: |
| 001:014 | But
every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. |
| 001:015 | Then
when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished,
bringeth forth death. |
| 001:016 | Do
not err, my beloved brethren. |
| 001:017 | 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. |
| 001:018 | Of
his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of
firstfruits of his creatures. |
| 001:019 | Wherefore,
my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to
wrath: |
| 001:020 | For
the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. |
| 001:021 | Wherefore
lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness
the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. |
| 001:022 | But
be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. |
| 001:023 | 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: |
| 001:024 | For
he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner
of man he was. |
| 001:025 | 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. |
| 001:026 | 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. |
| 001:027 | 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.
|
|
| 002:001
| My
brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with
respect of persons. | | 002:002 | 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; |
| 002:003 | 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: |
| 002:004 | Are
ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
|
| 002:005 | 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? |
| 002:006 | But
ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before
the judgment seats? |
| 002:007 | Do
not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? |
| 002:008 | If
ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself, ye do well: |
| 002:009 | But
if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law
as transgressors. |
| 002:010 | For
whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty
of all. |
| 002:011 | 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. |
| 002:012 | So
speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. |
| 002:013 | For
he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy
rejoiceth against judgment. |
| 002:014 | What
doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?
can faith save him? |
| 002:015 | If
a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, |
| 002:016 | 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?
|
| 002:017 | Even
so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. |
| 002:018 | 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. |
| 002:019 | Thou
believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe,
and tremble. |
| 002:020 | But
wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? |
| 002:021 | Was
not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son
upon the altar? |
| 002:022 | Seest
thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
|
| 002:023 | 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. |
| 002:024 | Ye
see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. |
| 002:025 | Likewise
also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the
messengers, and had sent them out another way? |
| 002:026 | For
as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
|
|
| 003:001
| My
brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
| | 003:002 | 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. |
| 003:003 | Behold,
we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about
their whole body. |
| 003:004 | 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. |
| 003:005 | Even
so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great
a matter a little fire kindleth! |
| 003:006 | 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. |
| 003:007 | 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: |
| 003:008 | But
the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. |
| 003:009 | Therewith
bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after
the similitude of God. |
| 003:010 | Out
of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things
ought not so to be. |
| 003:011 | Doth
a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? |
| 003:012 | Can
the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can
no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. |
| 003:013 | 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. |
| 003:014 | But
if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not
against the truth. |
| 003:015 | This
wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. |
| 003:016 | For
where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. |
| 003:017 | 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. |
| 003:018 | And
the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. |
|
| 004:001
| From
whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your
lusts that war in your members? | | 004:002 | 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. |
| 004:003 | Ye
ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your
lusts. |
| 004:004 | 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. |
| 004:005 | Do
ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth
to envy? |
| 004:006 | But
he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth
grace unto the humble. |
| 004:007 | Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. |
| 004:008 | Draw
nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners;
and purify your hearts, ye double minded. |
| 004:009 | Be
afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and
your joy to heaviness. |
| 004:010 | Humble
yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. |
| 004:011 | 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. |
| 004:012 | There
is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest
another? |
| 004:013 | 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: |
| 004:014 | 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. |
| 004:015 | For
that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
|
| 004:016 | But
now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. |
| 004:017 | Therefore
to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. |
|
| 005:001
| Go
to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
| | 005:002 | Your
riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. |
| 005:003 | 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. |
| 005:004 | 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. |
| 005:005 | Ye
have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your
hearts, as in a day of slaughter. |
| 005:006 | Ye
have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. |
| 005:007 | 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. |
| 005:008 | Be
ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
|
| 005:009 | Grudge
not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge
standeth before the door. |
| 005:010 | Take,
my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an
example of suffering affliction, and of patience. |
| 005:011 | 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. |
| 005:012 | 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. |
| 005:013 | Is
any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. |
| 005:014 | 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: |
| 005:015 | 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. |
| 005:016 | 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. |
| 005:017 | 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. |
| 005:018 | And
he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her
fruit. |
| 005:019 | Brethren,
if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; |
| 005:020 | 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. |