James 2:14–3:18

¹⁴What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him? ¹⁵If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, ¹⁶and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit? ¹⁷Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. ¹⁸Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith. ¹⁹Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder. ²⁰But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? ²¹Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? ²²Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect; ²³and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God. ²⁴Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith. ²⁵And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? ²⁶For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

3Be not many of you teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive heavier judgment. ²For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. ³Now if we put the horses’ bridles into their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also. ⁴Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the steersman willeth. ⁵So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire! ⁶And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell. ⁷For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind: ⁸but the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison. ⁹Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God: ¹⁰out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. ¹¹Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter? ¹²Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? neither can salt water yield sweet.

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? let him show by his good life his works in meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. ¹⁵This wisdom is not a wisdom that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. ¹⁶For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed. ¹⁷But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy. ¹⁸And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace.