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.

3 My brethren, abe not many bmasters, knowing that we shall receive the greater ||condemnation. 2 For cin many things we doffend all. eIf any man doffend not in word, fthe same is a gperfect man, and able also hto bridle the whole body. 3 Behold, iwe put hbits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 4 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. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and kboasteth great things. Behold, how great ||a matter a little fire kindleth! 6 And lthe tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that mit defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the †course of nature; and nit is set on fire of ohell. 7 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: 8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, pfull of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we qGod, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, rwhich are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same ||place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

13 sWho is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him tshew out of a good uconversation his works vwith meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter wenvying and xstrife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not yfrom above, zbut is earthly, ||sensual, devilish. 16 For where wenvying and xstrife is, there is †confusion and every evil work. 17 But zthe wisdom that is yfrom above is first pure, then apeaceable, bgentle, and easy to be intreated, cfull of mercy and good fruits, ||dwithout partiality, and ewithout hypocrisy. 18 And afthe fruit of righteousness is sown agin peace of them that make peace.

4 From whence come wars and ||fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your ||lusts athat war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye ||bkill, and cdesire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 dYe ask, and receive not, ebecause ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your ||lusts. 4 fYe adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that gthe friendship of the world is henmity with God? iwhosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5 Do ye think that kthe scripture saith in vain, lThe spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth ||to envy? 6 But mhe giveth more grace. Wherefore nhe saith, oGod resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 opSubmit yourselves therefore to God. qResist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 rDraw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. sCleanse your hands, ye sinners; and tpurify your hearts, ye udouble minded. 9 Be afflicted, and vmourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 pwHumble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

11 xSpeak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and yjudgeth his brother, zspeaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a adoer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and bto destroy: cwho art thou that judgest another?

13 dGo to now, ye that say, eTo day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and fcontinue there a year, and gbuy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? ||hIt is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, iIf the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16 But now ye jrejoice in your kboastings: lall such mrejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore nto him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

5 aGo to now, ye brich men, weep and howl for your cmiseries that shall come upon you. 2 dYour riches are corrupted, and eyour garments are fmotheaten. 3 Your gold and silver gis cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. hYe have heaped treasure together ifor the last days. 4 Behold, kthe hire of the labourers who have reaped down your lfields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and mthe cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of nsabaoth. 5 oYe have lived in pleasure on the earth, and pbeen wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in qa day of slaughter. 6 rYe have condemned and skilled tthe just; and he doth not resist you.

7 ||Be patient therefore, brethren, unto uthe coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman wwaiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and xhath long patience for it, until he receive ythe early and yzlatter rain. 8 Be ye also xpatient; astablish your hearts: for bthe coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 9 ||Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, cthe judge standeth dbefore the door. 10 Take, my brethren, ethe prophets, fwho have spoken in the name of the Lord, for gan example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 Behold, hwe count them happy iwhich endure. Ye have heard of jthe patience of Job, and have seen kthe end of the Lord; that lthe Lord is very pitiful, and mof tender mercy. 12 But above all things, my brethren, nswear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your oyea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. 13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? plet him sing psalms. 14 Is any sick among you? let him call for qthe elders of the church; and let them pray over him, ranointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And sthe prayer of faith shall tsave the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and uif he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16 vConfess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, wthat ye may be healed. xThe effectual xyfervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17 Elias was a man zsubject to like passions as we are, and ahe prayed ||earnestly that it might not rain: and ait rained not on the earth by the space of bthree years and six months. 18 And che prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and done convert him; 20 Let him know, that ehe which converteth the sinner from the error of his way fshall save ga soul from death, and hshall hide a multitude of sins.

The First Epistle General of

Peter

1 *Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to athe strangers bscattered throughout cPontus, dGalatia, cCappadocia, cAsia, and eBithynia, 2 fElect according to gthe foreknowledge of God the Father, hthrough sanctification of the Spirit, unto iobedience and ksprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: lGrace unto you, and mpeace, be multiplied.

3 nBlessed be othe God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which paccording to his †abundant mercy qhath begotten us again unto ra lively hope sby the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To tan inheritance uincorruptible, and undefiled, and wthat fadeth not away, xreserved yin heaven ||for you, 5 Who are zkept by the power of God athrough faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 Wherein bye greatly crejoice, dthough now efor a season, if need be, cye are in heaviness through fmanifold temptations: 7 That gthe trial of your faith, being much more precious than hof gold that perisheth, hthough it be tried iwith fire, might be found unto jpraise and khonour and kglory lat the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 mWhom having not seen, ye love; in whom, nthough now ye see him not, yet believing, oye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 pReceiving qthe end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 10 Of which salvation rthe prophets shave inquired and searched diligently, twho prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching uwhat, or what manner of time vthe Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, wwhen it testified beforehand xythe sufferings of Christ, and yzthe glory that should follow. 12 aUnto whom it was revealed, that bnot unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with cthe Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; dwhich things the angels desire to elook into.

13 Wherefore fgird up the loins of your mind, gbe sober, and hope †to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you hat the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As iobedient children, knot fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts lin your ignorance: 15 But mas he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of nconversation; 16 Because it is written, oBe ye holy; for I am holy. 17 And if ye call on the Father, who pwithout respect of persons qjudgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your rsojourning here in sfear: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that tye were not redeemed uwith corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain nconversation vreceived by tradition from your fathers; 19 But wwith the precious blood of Christ, as of xa lamb ywithout blemish and without spot: 20 zWho verily was foreordained abefore the foundation of the world, but was manifest bin these last times for you, 21 cWho by him do believe in God, dthat raised him up from the dead, and egave him glory; fthat your faith and hope might be in God. 22 Seeing ye have gpurified your souls in hobeying the truth through the Spirit iunto jlunfeigned klove of the brethren, see that ye love one another lwith a pure heart mfervently: 23 nBeing born again, onot of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, pby xthe word of God, qwhich liveth and rabideth for ever. 24 ||For sall flesh is as grass, and tall the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 uBut xthe word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is xthe word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

2 Wherefore alaying aside all bmalice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all cevil speakings, 2 dAs newborn babes, desire the esincere fmilk gof the word, that hye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have itasted that the Lord is kgracious. 4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, ldisallowed indeed of men, but lmchosen of God, and lprecious, 5 Ye also, as lively stones, ||mmare built up na spiritual house, oan holy priesthood, pto offer up spiritual sacrifices, qacceptable to God rby Jesus Christ. 6 Wherefore also it is contained in sthe scripture, tBehold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: uand vhe that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7 Unto you therefore which believe ||he is precious: but unto wthem which be disobedient, xthe stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8 And ya stone of zstumbling, and a rock of zoffence, even to them which stumble at the word, wbeing disobedient: awhereunto also they bwere appointed. 9 But ye are ca chosen generation, da royal priesthood, ean holy nation, ||fa peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the ||gpraises of hhim who hath called you iout of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 kWhich in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

11 Dearly beloved, lI beseech you mas nstrangers and opilgrims, pabstain from qfleshly lusts, rwhich war against the soul; 12 sHaving your tconversation honest among the Gentiles: that, ||uwhereas they speak against you as wevildoers, they may xby your good works, which they shall ybehold, zglorify God in the day of avisitation. 13 bSubmit yourselves to every ordinance of man cfor the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as bdsupreme; 14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him efor the punishment of evildoers, and ffor the praise of them that do well. 15 For so is gthe will of God, that hwith well doing ye may iput to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16 kAs free, and not †using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as lthe servants of God. 17 ||mHonour all men. Love nthe brotherhood. oFear God. opHonour the king. 18 qServants, rbe subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and sgentle, but also to the tfroward. 19 For this is ||thankworthy, uif a man vfor conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For wwhat glory is it, if, when ye be xbuffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, wwhen ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is ||acceptable with God. 21 For even yhereunto zwere ye called: because aChrist also suffered ||for us, bleaving us an cexample, that ye should follow dhis steps: 22 eWho did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 fWho, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but ||gcommitted himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 hWho his own self bare our sins in his own body ||on ithe tree, kthat we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: lby whose mstripes ye were healed. 25 For nye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned ounto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.