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THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF
JAMES.
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CHAPTER 1.
AMES, 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.
"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing
that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope (Rom., 5:3, 4)."
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.
"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he
that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Heb., 11:6)."
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.
"And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all
things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an
incorruptible (I. Cor., 9:25)."
"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me
only, but unto all them also that love his appearing (II. Tim., 4:8)."
"And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of
glory that fadeth not away (I. Pet., 5:4)."
"Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life
(Rev., 2:10)."
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.
"They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly
prepareth deceit (Job, 15:35)."
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.
"John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given
him from heaven (Jno., 3:27)."
"For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance
(Rom., 11:29)."
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we
should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
"For though ye have ten thousand
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instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in
Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel (I. Cor., 4:15)."
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to
hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
"Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready
to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not
that they do evil (Ecc., 5:1)."
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.
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in
heaven (Matt., 7:21)."
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.
"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will
shew you to whom he is like:
He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the
foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat
vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded
upon a rock.
But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a
foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did
beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house
was great (Luke, 6:46-49)."
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.
"So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of
liberty (Jas., 2:12)."
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.
"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile
(Ps., 34:13)."
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.
CHAPTER 2.
Y brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
"For there is no respect of persons with God (Rom., 2:11)."
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?
"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called
(I. Cor., 1:26)."
"So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich
toward God (Luke, 12:21)."
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.
"Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this
law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen (Deut., 27:26)."
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.
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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?
"And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him
impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do
likewise (Luke, 3:10, 11)."
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.
"And when he was come to the other side into the country of the
Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the
tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee,
Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the
time (Matt., 8:28, 29)?"
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?
"And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham
built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his
son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his
son.
And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said,
Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing
unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not
withheld thy son, thine only son from me (Gen., 22:9-12)."
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.
"And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for
righteousness (Gen., 15:6)."
"But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the
seed of Abraham my friend (Isa., 41:8)."
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?
"By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not,
when she had received the spies with peace (Heb., 11:31)."
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without
works is dead also.
CHAPTER 3.
Y brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the
greater condemnation.
"But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even
Christ; and all ye are brethren (Matt., 23:8)."
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.
"Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it
(Ps., 34:14)."
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey
us; and we turn about their whole body.
"Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no
understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest
they come near unto thee (Ps., 32:9)."
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!
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"There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue
of the wise is health (Prov., 12:18)."
"The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools
poureth out foolishness (Rom., 15:2)."
"They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering
lips and with a double heart do they speak.
The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that
speaketh proud things:
Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our
own: who is lord over us (Ps., 12:2-4)?"
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.
"An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a
burning fire (Prov., 16:27)."
"Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which
cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man (Matt., 15:11)."
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.
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God
created he him; male and female created he them (Gen., 1:27)."
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.
"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.
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.
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord
(Jas., 1:5-7)."
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that
make peace.
CHAPTER 4.
ROM whence come wars and fightings among you? come they
not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
"But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my
mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my
members (Rom., 7:23)."
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.
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it
shall be opened unto you (Matt., 7:7)."
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.
"I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because
they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world
(Jno., 17:14)."
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that
dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
"The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour
in his eyes (Prov., 21:10)."
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth
the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
"Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly:
but the proud he knoweth afar off (Ps., 138:6)."
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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.
"When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is
lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the
pureness of thine hands (Job, 22:29, 30)."
"But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall
humble himself shall be exalted (Matt., 23:11, 12)."
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.
"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil
speaking, be put away from you, with all malice (Eph., 4:31)."
12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy:
who art thou that judgest another?
"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the
soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body
in hell (Matt., 10:28)."
"Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he
standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to
make him stand (Rom., 14:4)."
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.
"My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent
without hope.
O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see
good.
The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine
eyes are upon me, and I am not.
As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth
down to the grave shall come up no more.
He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him
any more (Job, 7:6-10)."
"For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an
hearth (Ps., 102:3)."
"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the
flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth
away (I. Pet., 1:24)."
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.
CHAPTER 5.
O to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries
that shall come upon you.
"He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall
flourish as a branch (Prov., 11:28)."
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.
"But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself
wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment
of God (Rom., 2:5)."
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.
"They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave
(Job, 21:13)."
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
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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.
"Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand
(Phil., 4:5)."
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.
"Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in
heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you
(Matt., 5:12)."
"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received
not the promise (Heb., 11:39)."
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.
"Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest
him out of thy law (Ps., 94:12)."
"Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity?
curse God, and die.
But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women
speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we
not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips
(Job, 2:9, 10)."
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.
"But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for
it is God's throne:
Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it
is the city of the great King.
Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one
hair white or black.
But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is
more than these cometh of evil (Matt., 5:34-37)."
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:
"And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were
sick, and healed them (Mark, 6:13)."
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.
"So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife,
and his maidservants; and they bare children (Gen., 20:17)."
"And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the Lord,
the fire was quenched (Num., 11:2)."
"And I fell down before the Lord, as at the first, forty days and forty
nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your
sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to
provoke him to anger (Deut., 9:18)."
"So Samuel called unto the Lord; and the Lord sent thunder and rain
that day: and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel
(I. Sam., 12:18)."
"And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the
face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored
me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king's hand was
restored him again, and became as it was before
(I. Kings, 13:6)."
"Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare
their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear (Ps., 10:17)."
"The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of
the righteous (Prov., 15:29)."
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.
"And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead,
said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I
stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my
word (I. Kings, 17:1)."
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth
brought forth her fruit.
"And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there
is a sound of abundance of rain.
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And
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Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the
earth, and put his face between his knees,
And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with
clouds and wind, and there was a great rain (I. Kings, 18:41, 42, 45)."
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.
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