James 2:14–3:18

¹⁴What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him?

¹⁵And if a brother or sister be naked and want daily food:

¹⁶And one of you say to them: Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; yet give them not those things that are necessary for the body, what shall it profit?

¹⁷So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

¹⁸But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works. Shew me thy faith without works; and I will shew thee, by works, my faith.

¹⁹Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.

²⁰But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

²¹Was not Abraham our father justified by works, offering up Isaac his son upon the altar?

²²Seest thou that faith did cooperate with his works and by works faith was made perfect?

²³And the scripture was fulfilled, saying: Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him to justice, and he was called the friend of God.

²⁴Do you see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only?

²⁵And in like manner also Rahab the harlot, was not she justified by works, receiving the messengers and sending them out another way?

²⁶For even as the body without the spirit is dead: so also faith without works is dead.

Chapter 3

Be ye not many masters, my brethren, knowing that you receive the greater judgment.

²For in many things we all offend. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man. He is able also with a bridle to lead about the whole body.

³For if we put bits into the mouths of horses, that they may obey us: and we turn about their whole body.

⁴Behold also ships, whereas they are great and are driven by strong winds, yet are they turned about with a small helm, whithersoever the force of the governor willeth.

⁵Even so the tongue is indeed a little member and boasteth great things. Behold how small a fire kindleth a great wood.

⁶And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is placed among our members, which defileth the whole body and inflameth the wheel of our nativity, being set on fire by hell.

⁷For every nature of beasts and of birds and of serpents and of the rest is tamed and hath been tamed, by the nature of man.

⁸But the tongue no man can tame, an unquiet evil, full of deadly poison.

⁹By it we bless God and the Father: and by it we curse men who are made after the likeness of God.

¹⁰Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

¹¹Doth a fountain send forth, out of the same hole, sweet and bitter water?

¹²Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear grapes? Or the vine, figs? So neither can the salt water yield sweet.

¹³Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge, among you? Let him shew, by a good contestation, his work in the meekness of wisdom.

¹⁴But if you have bitter zeal, and there be contention in your hearts: glory not and be not liars against the truth.

¹⁵For this is not wisdom, descending from above: but earthly, sensual, devilish.

¹⁶For where envying and contention is: there is inconstancy and every evil work.

¹⁷But the wisdom that is from above, first indeed is chaste, then peaceable, modest, easy to be persuaded, consenting to the good, full of mercy and good fruits, without judging, without dissimulation.

¹⁸And the fruit of justice is sown in peace, to them that make peace.