Epistle of James
Bible, King James Version (KJV)
James. The Book of James.
Jas.1
[
1] James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
[
2] My
brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
[
3]
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
[
4] But
let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting
nothing.
[
5] If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that
giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given
him.
[
6] But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that
wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and
tossed.
[
7] For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing
of the Lord.
[
8] A double minded man is unstable in all his
ways.
[
9] Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is
exalted:
[
10] But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the
flower of the grass he shall pass away.
[
11] For the sun is no sooner
risen with a burning heat, but it 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.
[
12] Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the
Lord hath promised to them that love him.
[
13] Let no man say when he
is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither
tempteth he any man:
[
14] But every man is tempted, when he is drawn
away of his own lust, and enticed.
[
15] Then when lust hath conceived,
it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth
death.
[
16] Do not err, my beloved brethren.
[
17] Every good
gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of
lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
[
18]
Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of
firstfruits 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 lay
apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness
the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
[
22] But be ye
doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own
selves.
[
23] For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is
like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
[
24] For he
beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of
man he was.
[
25] But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty,
and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work,
this man shall be blessed in his deed.
[
26] If any man among you seem
to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this
man's religion is vain.
[
27] Pure religion and undefiled before God
and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction,
and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Jas.2
[
1] My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
[
2] For if there
come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there
come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
[
3] And ye have respect to
him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good
place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my
footstool:
[
4] Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become
judges of evil thoughts?
[
5] Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not
God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which
he hath promised to them that love him?
[
6] But ye have despised the
poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment
seats?
[
7] Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are
called?
[
8] If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
[
9] But if ye
have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as
transgressors.
[
10] For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet
offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
[
11] For he that said, Do
not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet
if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
[
12] So speak
ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of
liberty.
[
13] For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath
shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
[
14] What doth
it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can
faith save him?
[
15] If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of
daily food,
[
16] And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye
warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are
needful to the body; what doth it profit?
[
17] Even so faith, if it
hath not works, is dead, being alone.
[
18] Yea, a man may say, Thou
hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will
shew thee my faith by my works.
[
19] Thou believest that there is one
God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
[
20] But
wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
[
21] Was
not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son
upon the altar?
[
22] Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and
by works was faith made perfect?
[
23] And the scripture was fulfilled
which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for
righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
[
24] Ye see then
how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
[
25]
Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received
the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
[
26] For as the
body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Jas.3
[
1] My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall
receive the greater condemnation.
[
2] For in many things we offend
all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to
bridle the whole body.
[
3] Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths,
that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
[
4] Behold
also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds,
yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor
listeth.
[
5] Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great
things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
[
6] And the
tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that
it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is
set on fire of hell.
[
7] For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and
of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of
mankind:
[
8] But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil,
full of deadly poison.
[
9] Therewith bless we God, even the Father;
and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of
God.
[
10] Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My
brethren, these things ought not so to be.
[
11] Doth a fountain send
forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
[
12] Can the fig tree,
my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both
yield salt water and fresh.
[
13] Who is a wise man and endued with
knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with
meekness of wisdom.
[
14] But if ye have bitter envying and strife in
your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
[
15] This
wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual,
devilish.
[
16] For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and
every evil work.
[
17] But the wisdom that is from above is first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits,
without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
[
18] And the fruit of
righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Jas.4
[
1] From whence come wars and fightings among you? come
they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
[
2] Ye
lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and
war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
[
3] Ye ask, and receive not,
because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
[
4] Ye
adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is
enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy
of God.
[
5] Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit
that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
[
6] But he giveth more grace.
Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the
humble.
[
7] Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and
he will flee from you.
[
8] Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to
you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double
minded.
[
9] Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be
turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
[
10] Humble yourselves
in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
[
11] Speak not
evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth
his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge
the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
[
12] There is
one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest
another?
[
13] Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go
into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get
gain:
[
14] Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what
is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then
vanisheth away.
[
15] For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we
shall live, and do this, or that.
[
16] But now ye rejoice in your
boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
[
17] Therefore to him that
knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Jas.5
[
1] Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries
that shall come upon you.
[
2] Your riches are corrupted, and your
garments are motheaten.
[
3] Your gold and silver is cankered; and the
rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were
fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
[
4] Behold,
the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept
back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into
the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
[
5] Ye have lived in pleasure on the
earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of
slaughter.
[
6] Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not
resist you.
[
7] Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the
Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and
hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter
rain.
[
8] Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of
the Lord draweth nigh.
[
9] Grudge not one against another, brethren,
lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
[
10]
Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an
example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
[
11] Behold, we
count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have
seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender
mercy.
[
12] But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by
heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be
yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
[
13] Is any
among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing
psalms.
[
14] Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the
church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord:
[
15] And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord
shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven
him.
[
16] Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for
another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much.
[
17] Elias was a man subject to like passions as we
are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the
earth by the space of three years and six months.
[
18] And he prayed
again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her
fruit.
[
19] Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one
convert him;
[
20] Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner
from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a
multitude of sins.
