The General Epistle Of James

1 *aJames, ba servant of God and cof the Lord Jesus Christ, to dthe twelve tribes ewhich are scattered abroad, greeting.

2 My brethren, fcount it all joy when ye fall into gdivers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that hthe trying of your faith iworketh kpatience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be lperfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5 mIf any of you lack wisdom, nlet him ask oof God, that giveth to all men pliberally, and qupbraideth not; and nit shall be given him. 6 But rlet him ask in faith, snothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like ta wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 uA double minded man is vunstable in all his ways. 9 Let the brother of low degree ||rejoice win that he is exalted: 10 But the rich, xin that he is made low: because yas the flower of the grass zhe shall pass away. 11 For the sun is no sooner risen with aa burning heat, but bit 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. 12 cBlessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is dtried, he shall receive ethe crown of life, fwhich the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

13 gLet no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with ||evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away hof his own lust, and ienticed. 15 Then kwhen lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, lbringeth forth death. 16 mDo not err, my beloved brethren. 17 nEvery good ogift and every pperfect gift is qfrom above, and cometh down from rthe Father of lights, swith whom is no variableness, neither shadow of tturning. 18 uOf his own will vbegat he us vwith the word of truth, xthat we should be a kind of yfirstfruits of his creatures.

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be zswift to hear, aslow to speak, bslow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21 Wherefore clay apart all filthiness and superfluity of cdnaughtiness, and receive ewith meekness the fengrafted word, gwhich is able to save your souls. 22 But hbe ye doers of the word, and hnot hearers only, ideceiving your own selves. 23 For kif any be ha hearer of the word, and hnot a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in la glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso mlooketh into the perfect nlaw of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hhearer, but ha doer of the work, this man shall be oblessed in his ||deed. 26 If any man among you pseem to be religious, and qbridleth not rhis tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s sreligion is vain. 27 Pure sreligion and undefiled before tGod and the Father is this, To uvisit vthe wfatherless and vwidows in their affliction, and xto keep himself yunspotted from the world.

2 My brethren, have not athe faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, bthe Lord of glory, cwith respect of persons. 2 For if there come unto your †assembly a man with a gold ring, in dgoodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3 And ye ehave respect to him that weareth the dgay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here ||in a good place; and fsay to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 Are ye not then gipartial in yourselves, and are become judges of hievil thoughts? 5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God klchosen the poor of this world mrich in faith, and nheirs of ||othe kingdom pwhich he hath promised to qthem that love him? 6 But ye have rdespised the poor. Do not rich men soppress you, and tdraw you ubefore the judgment seats? 7 Do not they vblaspheme that worthy name wby the which ye are called? 8 If ye fulfil xthe royal law according to xxthe scripture, yThou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9 But cif ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are zconvinced of the law as transgressors. 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet aoffend in one point, bhe is cguilty of all. 11 For ||he that said, dDo not commit adultery, said also, dDo not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by ethe law of liberty. 13 For fhe shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and gmercy ||rejoiceth against judgment.

14 hWhat doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 jIf a brother or sister be knaked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And lone of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; mnotwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; hwhat doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being †alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith ||without thy works, and I will nshew thee omy faith by my works. 19 pThou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: qthe devils also rbelieve, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O svain man, that faith twithout works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, uwhen he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 ||Seest thou vhow faith wrought with his works, and wby works was faith made perfect? 23 And xthe scripture was fulfilled which saith, yAbraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called zthe Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that aby works a man is justified, and anot by faith only. 25 Likewise also bwas not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had creceived the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body dwithout the ||spirit is dead, so faith dwithout works is dead also.