:

5

fect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.

But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it 6 shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the 7 sea driven by the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; 8 a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

9

But let the brother of low degree glory in his high es10 tate: and the rich, in that he is made low: because as 11 the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun ariseth with the scorching wind, and 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 goings.

12

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord 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, and he him14 self tempteth no man: but each man is tempted, when 15 he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. Then

the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the 16 sin, when it is full-grown, bringeth forth death. Be not 17 deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and

every perfect boon is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, 18 neither shadow that is cast by turning. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

19 Ye know this, my beloved brethren. But let every man 20 be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21 Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing

of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted 22 word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your 23 own selves. For if any one is a hearer of the word, and

not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural 24 face in a mirror: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth

away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man 25 he was. But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth, but a doer that worketh, this man shall be 26 blessed in his doing. If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but

27 deceiveth his heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

2 My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus 2 Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For

if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor 3 man in vile clothing; and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man, Stand thou 4 there, or sit under my footstool; are ye not divided in your own mind, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that 6 love him? But ye have dishonoured the poor man. Do

not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you be7fore the judgement-seats? Do not they blaspheme the 8 honourable name by the which ye are called? Howbeit

if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, 9 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being con10 victed by the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall

keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is 11 become guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become a trans12 gressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as men 13 that are to be judged by a law of liberty. For judgement is without mercy to him that hath shewed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgement.

14

What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and in lack of daily 16 food, and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye

warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things 17 needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so 18 faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. Yea, a

man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works 19 will shew thee my faith. Thou believest that God is

one; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and shud20 der. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart 21 from works is barren? Was not Abraham our father

justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son 22 upon the altar? Thou seest that faith wrought with his

23 works, and by works was faith made perfect; and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for right24 cousness; and he was called the friend of God. Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith. 25 And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and 26 sent them out another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead. 3 Be not many teachers, my brethren, knowing that we 2 shall receive heavier judgement. For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body 3 also. Now if we put the horses' bridles into their mouths, that they may obey us, we turn about their 4 whole body also. Behold, the ships also, though they are so great, and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the im5 pulse of the steersman willeth. So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how 6 much wood is kindled by how small a fire! And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by 7 hell. For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been 8 tamed by mankind: but the tongue can no man tame; 9 it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison. There

with bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse 10 we men, which are made after the likeness of God: out

of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. 11 My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth

the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet 12 water and bitter? can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? neither can salt water, yield

sweet.

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? let him

shew by his good life his works in meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, 15 glory not and lie not against the truth. This wisdom is

not a wisdom that cometh down from above, but is 16 earthly, sensual, devilish. For where jealousy and

faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace.

4

Whence come wars and whence come fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your pleasures that 2 war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have 3 not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, be cause ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleas4 ures. Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an 5 enemy of God. Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us 6 long unto envying? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore the scripture saith, God resisteth the proud, but 7 giveth grace to the humble. Be subject therefore unto God; but 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, 9 ye doubleminded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy 10 to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you.

11

Speak not one against another, brethren. He that speaketh against a brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, 12 but a judge. One only is the lawgiver and judge, even he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbour?

13 Go to now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we wili go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and 14 get gain; whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are 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 16 both live, and do this or that. But now ye glory in 17 your vauntings; all such glorying is evil. To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

5

Go to now, ye rich, weep and howl for your miseries 2 that are coming upon you. Your riches are corrupted, 3 and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. 4 Ye have laid up your treasure in the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who mowed your fields,

which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth out: and the cries of them that reaped have entered into the 5 ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Ye have lived delicately on the earth, and taken your pleasure; ye have nour6 ished your hearts in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned, ye have killed the righteous one; he doth not resist you.

Be patient_therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until 8 it receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient: stablish your hearts: for the coming of the 9 Lord is at hand. Murmur not, brethren, one against another, that ye be not judged: behold, the judge 10 standeth before the doors. Take, brethren, for an ex

ample of suffering and of patience, the prophets who 11 spake in the name of the Lord. Behold, we call them blessed which endured: ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful.

12

But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; that ye fall not under judgement.

13 Is any among you suffering? let him pray. Is any 14 cheerful? let him sing praise. Is any among you sick?

let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of 15 the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have 16 committed sins, it shall be forgiven him. Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a 17 righteous man availeth much in its working. Elijah was a man of like passions with us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not on the 18 earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again; and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

19 My brethren, if any among you do err from the truth, 20 and one convert him; let him know, that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of

sins.

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