THE 1GENERAL 2EPISTLE
OF
3JAMES
James 1 ©
1 After the superscription. 2 The apostle exhorts the scattered believing Jews to bear patiently their trials by the cross. 3 Because of the fruits which proceed from thence. 5 And those who have not the wisdom to do this, he teaches to beg the same of God. 6 But with faith, seeing otherwise they shall not obtain it. 9 Comforts the lowly. 10 Exhorts the rich to humility, because of the instability of riches, and of life. 13 Teaches that when anyone is tempted to sin, this comes not from God, but from his own concupiscence, which conceives and brings forth sin. 17 That all good comes from God, and especially regeneration. 19 Exhorts to long-suffering. 21 And meekness. 22 And not only to hear God’s Word, but also to do it, seeing otherwise it is heard in vain. 23 Which he declares by the similitude of one who beholds himself in a glass. 26 Finally he teaches that the exercise of true religion consists most in bridling of one’s tongue. 27 In exercising of charity, especially towards widows and fatherless, and in living holily.
JAMES,12a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to 3the twelve tribes whicha are 4scattered abroad, 5greeting.
My brethren, countb it 6all joy when ye 7fall into divers 8temptations;
9Knowingcthis, that 10the trying of your faith worketh 11patience.
But let patience have her 12perfect work, that ye may be 13perfect and 14entire, 15wanting 16nothing.
Ifd17any of you lack 18wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to 19all men 20liberally, and 21upbraidethe not; and 22itf shall be given him.
But let him ask 23in faith, 24nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
For let not 25that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
26A double minded man 27is 28unstable 29in all his ways.
Let the brother of 30low degree 31rejoice in 32that he is exalted:
But 33the rich, 34in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass 35he shall pass away.
Forg36the 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 37the rich man 38fade away 39in his ways.
Blessedhis the man that 40endureth 41temptation: for when he is 42tried, he shall 43receive 44thei crown of life, which the Lord hath promisedj to them 45that love him.
Let no man 46say 47when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God 48cannot be tempted with evil, neither 49tempteth he any man:
But every man 50is tempted, 51when he is 52drawn away of his own lust, and 53enticed.
Then when lust hath 54conceived, it 55bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is 56finished, 57bringeth forth 58death.
59Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Everyk good gift and every 60perfect gift is 61from above, and cometh down from the 62Father of lights, withl whom is 63no variableness, neither 64shadow of 65turning.
66Ofm his own will 67begat he us 68with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of 69firstfruits 70of his creatures.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let everyn man be swift 71to hear, slow 72to speak, slow to wrath:
For the wrath of man 73worketh not the righteousness of God.
Whereforeo74lay apart all 75filthiness and 76superfluity of naughtiness,p and 77receive with meekness the 78engrafted 79word, which is 80able to save your souls.
Butq be ye 81doers of the word, and not hearers only, 82deceiving your own selves.
Forr if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding 83his natural face 84in a glass:
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
Buts85whoso looketh 86into the perfect law of 87liberty, and 88continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed 89in his deed.
Ift any man among you 90seem to be religious, and bridleth not 91his tongue, but deceiveth his own 92heart, this man’s 93religion is vain.
Pure religion and undefiled 94before God and the Father is this, 95To visit the 96fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself 97unspotted 98from the world.