JAMES, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve
tribes which are dispersed, greeting.
(2)My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into various trials;
(3)knowing that the proof of your faith produceth patience. (4)But let
patience have its work perfected, that ye may be perfect and complete,
deficient in nothing. (5)But if any man of you be deficient in wisdom,
let him ask it of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth
not and it shall be given him. (6)But let him ask in faith, harbouring
no doubt: for he who is doubtful is like a wave of the sea, driven by
the wind, and in constant agitation. (7)For let not that man think that
he shall receive any thing from the Lord. (8)A double-minded man is
unsteady in all his ways.
(9)Let the brother low in station rejoice in his elevation: (10)but the
rich, in his abasement: for as the flower of grass he shall pass away.
(11)For the sun arose with fervour, and burnt up the grass, and the
flower of it fell off, and the beauty of its appearance was lost: just
so the rich man in his course of life shall wither away. (12)Blessed is
the man who patiently supports temptation: for when he is proved, he
shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to those
who love him. (13)Let no man under temptation say, I am tempted of God:
for God is incapable of temptation from evils, and he tempteth no man:
(14)but every person is tempted, when by his own peculiar passion he is
born away, and ensnared. (15)Then passion impregnated, bringeth forth
sin, and sin reaching its consummation, bringeth forth death. (16)Be
not deceived, my beloved brethren.
(17)Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, descending
from the father of illuminations, with whom there is no variableness,
nor shadow of change. (18)Of his own choice he produced us by the word
of truth, that we might be a sort of first fruit of his
creatures.--(19)Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift
to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. (20)For the wrath of man worketh
not the righteousness of God. (21)Wherefore laying aside all vicious
pollution, and the abundance of iniquity, receive with meekness the
ingrafted word, which hath power to save your souls. (22)But be ye
doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves by false
reasoning. (23)For if any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer,
he is like a man that looks at his natural face in a glass; (24)for he
beheld himself, and went away, and immediately forgot what sort of
person he was. (25)But he that looketh into the perfect law of liberty,
and perseveres, this man not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of
the work, he shall be blessed in his practice.
(26)If any man thinks he is a religious character among you, and
bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's
religion is vain. (27)Pure religion and undefiled with God even the
Father is this, To pay diligent attention to the orphans and widows in
their affliction, and to preserve himself spotless from the world.