James 1–2

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

²My brethren, ^fcount it all joy when ye fall into ^gdivers temptations; ³Knowing this, that ^hthe trying of your faith ⁱworketh ^kpatience. ⁴But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be ^lperfect and entire, wanting nothing. ^5mIf 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. ⁶But ^rlet him ask in faith, ^snothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like ^ta wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. ⁷For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. ^8uA double minded man is ^vunstable in all his ways. ⁹Let the brother of low degree ^||rejoice ^win that he is exalted: ¹⁰But the rich, ^xin that he is made low: because ^yas the flower of the grass ^zhe shall pass away. ¹¹For 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. ^12cBlessed 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.

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

¹⁹Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be ^zswift to hear, ^aslow to speak, ^bslow to wrath: ²⁰For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. ²¹Wherefore ^clay apart all filthiness and superfluity of ^cdnaughtiness, and receive ^ewith meekness the ^fengrafted word, ^gwhich is able to save your souls. ²²But ^hbe ye doers of the word, and ^hnot hearers only, ⁱdeceiving your own selves. ²³For ^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: ²⁴For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. ²⁵But 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. ²⁶If any man among you ^pseem to be religious, and ^qbridleth not ^rhis tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s ^sreligion is vain. ²⁷Pure ^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.

2My brethren, have not ^athe faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^bthe Lord of glory, ^cwith respect of persons. ²For 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; ³And 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: ⁴Are ye not then ^gipartial in yourselves, and are become judges of ^hievil thoughts? ⁵Hearken, 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? ⁶But ye have ^rdespised the poor. Do not rich men ^soppress you, and ^tdraw you ^ubefore the judgment seats? ⁷Do not they ^vblaspheme that worthy name ^wby the which ye are called? ⁸If ye fulfil ^xthe royal law according to ^xxthe scripture, ^yThou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: ⁹But ^cif ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are ^zconvinced of the law as transgressors. ¹⁰For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet ^aoffend in one point, ^bhe is ^cguilty of all. ¹¹For ^||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. ¹²So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by ^ethe law of liberty. ¹³For ^fhe shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and ^gmercy ^||rejoiceth against judgment.

^14hWhat doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? ^15jIf a brother or sister be ^knaked, and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶And ^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? ¹⁷Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being ^†alone. ¹⁸Yea, 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. ^19pThou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: ^qthe devils also ^rbelieve, and tremble. ²⁰But wilt thou know, O ^svain man, that faith ^twithout works is dead? ²¹Was 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? ²³And ^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. ²⁴Ye see then how that ^aby works a man is justified, and ^anot by faith only. ²⁵Likewise also ^bwas not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had ^creceived the messengers, and had sent them out another way? ²⁶For as the body ^dwithout the ^||spirit is dead, so faith ^dwithout works is dead also.