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

1:2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

1:3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

1:4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

1:5If 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.

1:6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

1:7For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

1:8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

1:9Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

1:10But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

1:11For 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.

1:12Blessed 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.

1:13Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

1:14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

1:15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

1:16Do not err, my beloved brethren.

1:17Every 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.

1:18Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

1:19Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

1:20For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

1:21Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

1:22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

1:23For 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:

1:24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

1:25But 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.

1:26If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

1:27Pure 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.

2:1My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2:2For 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;

2:3And 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:

2:4Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

2:5Hearken, 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?

2:6But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

2:7Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

2:8If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

2:9But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

2:10For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

2:11For 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.

2:12So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

2:13For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

2:14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

2:15If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

2:16And 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?

2:17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

2:18Yea, 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.

2:19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

2:20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

2:21Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

2:22Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

2:23And 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.

2:24Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

2:25Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

2:26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.