| James the servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, sendeth greeting to the twelve tribes which are scattered here and there. My brethren, count it exceeding joy when ye fall into diverse temptations for as much as ye know how that the trying of your faith bringeth patience: and let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and sound, lacking nothing.
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God which giveth to all men indifferently, and casteth no man in the teeth: and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith and waver not. For he that doubteth is like the waves of the sea, tossed of the wind and carried with violence. Neither let that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A wavering minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, and the rich in that he is made low. For even as the flower of the grass, shall he vanish away. The *son riseth with heat, and the grass withereth, and his flower falleth away, and the beauty of the fashion of it perisheth: even so shall the rich man perish with his abundance.
Happy is the man that endureth in temptation, for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Let no man say when he is tempted, that he is tempted of God. For God tempteth not unto evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted, drawn away, and enticed of his own *concupiscence. Then when lust hath conceived, she bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
*Erre not my dear brethren. Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above and cometh down from the father of light with whom is no variableness, neither is he changed unto darkness. Of his own will begat he us with the word of life, that we should be the first fruits of his creatures.
Wherefore dear brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not that which is righteous before God.
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness, all *superfluity of maliciousness, and receive with meekness the word that is grafted in you, which is able to save your souls.
And see that ye be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves with *sophistry. For if any hear the word, and do it not, he is like unto a man that beholdeth his bodily face in a glass. For as soon as he hath looked on himself, he goeth his way, and forgetteth immediately what his fashion was. But whoso looketh in the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein (if he be not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work) the same shall be happy in his deed.
If any man among you seem *devout, and refrain not his tongue: but deceive his own heart, this mans *devotion is in vain. Pure devotion and undefiled before God the father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widow in their adversity, and to keep him self unspotted of the world. |
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*son: exactly as it appears, other places sun is spelled sunne, here is son spelled sonne.*concupiscence: strong desire, as in the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of goods.*erre: from Hebrew meaning to *pledge. to believe in Gods truth, verity(realness) promises through Jesus Christ. ie:error. *superfluity: indulgence
*sophistry: an imaginable but misleading discussion: sophisticated proud speaking.
*See here that this word is not "religion" neither is the word "religion" found in any of the original text.
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