James 1

¹Iames a seruant of God, and of the Lord Iesus Christ, to the twelue Tribes, which are scattered abroade, salutation.

²My brethren, count it exceeding ioy, when ye fall into diuers tentations,

³Knowing that ye trying of your faith bringeth forth patience,

⁴And let patience haue her perfect worke, that ye may be perfect and entier, lacking nothing.

⁵If any of you lacke wisedome, let him aske of God, which giueth to all men liberally, and reprocheth no man, and it shalbe giuen him.

⁶But let him aske in faith, and wauer not: for hee that wauereth, is like a waue of the sea, tost of the winde, and caried away.

⁷Neither let that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord.

⁸A double minded man is vnstable in all his waies.

⁹Let the brother of lowe degree reioyce in that he is exalted:

¹⁰Againe hee that is rich, in that hee is made lowe: for as the flower of the grasse, shall he vanish away.

¹¹For as when the sunne riseth with heate, then the grasse withereth, and his flower falleth away, and the goodly shape of it perisheth: euen so shall the rich man wither away in all his waies.

¹²Blessed is ye man, that endureth tentation: for when he is tried, hee shall receiue the crowne of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him.

¹³Let no man say when hee is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God can not bee tempted with euill, neither tempteth he any man.

¹⁴But euery man is tempted, when hee is drawen away by his owne concupiscence, and is entised.

¹⁵Then when lust hath conceiued, it bringeth foorth sinne, and sinne when it is finished, bringeth foorth death.

¹⁶Erre not, my deare brethren.

¹⁷Euery good giuing, and euery perfect gift is from aboue, and commeth downe from the Father of lights, with whome is no variablenes, neither shadow of turning.

¹⁸Of his owne will begate hee vs with the woorde of trueth, that we shoulde be as the first fruites of his creatures.

¹⁹Wherefore my deare brethren, let euery man be swift to heare, slowe to speake, and slowe to wrath.

²⁰For the wrath of man doeth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God.

²¹Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse, and superfluitie of maliciousnesse, and receiue with meekenes the word that is graffed in you, which is able to saue your soules.

²²And be ye doers of the word, and not hearers onely, deceiuing your owne selues.

²³For if any heare the woorde, and doe it not, he is like vnto a man, that beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse.

²⁴For when he hath considered himselfe, hee goeth his way, and forgetteth immediately what maner of one he was.

²⁵But who so looketh in the perfect Lawe of libertie, and continueth therein, hee not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the woorke, shalbe blessed in his deede.

²⁶If any man amog you seeme religious, and refraineth not his tongue, but deceiueth his owne heart, this mans religion is vaine.

²⁷Pure religion and vndefiled before God, euen the Father, is this, to visite the fatherlesse, and widdowes in their aduersitie, and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world.

James 1

¹James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

²My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

³Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

⁴But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

⁵If 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.

⁶But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a 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.

⁸A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

⁹Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

¹⁰But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

¹¹For 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.

¹²Blessed 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.

¹³Let 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 of his own lust, and enticed.

¹⁵Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

¹⁶Do not err, my beloved brethren.

¹⁷Every 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.

¹⁸Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

¹⁹Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

²⁰For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

²¹Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

²²But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

²³For 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:

²⁴For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

²⁵But 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.

²⁶If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

²⁷Pure 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.