ALPHA

James


 
Chapter 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 you fall into various temptations;
    3.Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.
    4.But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
    5.If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and does not upbraid; and it shall be given to him.
    6.But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
    7.For do not let that man think that he shall receive anything from 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 has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and its flower falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes. So shall the rich man also fade away in his ways.
    12.Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him.
    13.Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither does he tempt any man.
    14.But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
    15.Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin. And sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.
    16.Make no mistake, my beloved brethren.
    17.Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variance, nor shadow of turning.
    18.Of his own will he us begat with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
    19.Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
    20.For the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God.
    21.Therefore 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 doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
    23.For if any is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
    24.For he sees himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was.
    25.But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, 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 seems to be religious, and does not bridle his tongue, but deceivs 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.

 
 
 
Chapter 2
  1. My brethren, you do not have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
  2. For if there comes into your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and then there also comes in a poor man in vile clothing;
  3. And you have respect to him that wears the fine clothing, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool."
  4. Are you then not partial in yourselves, and have become judges of evil thoughts?
  5. Hearken, my beloved brethren, has not God chosen the poor of this world who are rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to them that love him?
  6. But you have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
  7. Do they not blaspheme that worthy name by which you are called?
  8. If you fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well.
  9. But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
  10. For whoever 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 you commit no adultery, yet if you kill, you have become a transgressor of the law.
  12. So you speak, and do so, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
  13. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy; and mercy rejoices against judgment.
  14. What does it profit, my brethren, though a man says he has faith, and does not have works? Can faith save him?
  15. If a brother or sister is naked, and destitute of daily food,
  16. And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," notwithstanding you do not give them those things which are needful to the body, what does it profit?
  17. Even so, faith, if it has no works, is dead, being alone.
  18. Yea, a man may say, "You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
  19. You believe that there is one God; you do well. The devils also believes, and trembles.
  20. But will you know, oh, 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. You see how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
  23. And the scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness, and he was called the Friend of God.
  24. You 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 also dead.

 
 
 
Chapter 3
  1. My brethren, do not be many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
  2. For in many things we all offend. If any man does not offend 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 around their whole body.
  4. Behold also the ships, which though they are so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet they are turned around with a very small helm, wherever the governor lists.
  5. Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindles!
  6. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so the tongue is among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on the fire of hell.
  7. For every kind of beast, and of bird, and of serpent, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind.
  8. But the tongue no man can tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
  9. With this we bless God, even the Father; and with this we curse men, who are made after the similitude of God.
  10. Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
  11. Does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
  12. Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? Or a vine, figs? As no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.
  13. Who among you is a wise man and endued with knowledge? Let him show of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
  14. But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, do not glory, and do not lie against the truth.
  15. This wisdom descends 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 by them who make peace.

 
 
 
Chapter 4
  1. From where do wars and fightings among you come from? Do they not come, therefore, even from your lusts that war in your members?
  2. You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain. You fight and war, yet you have not, because you do not ask.
  3. You ask, and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.
  4. You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
  5. Do you think that the scripture says in vain, "The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy?"
  6. But he gives more grace. Therefore he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
  7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
  8. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you 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. Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He that speaks evil of his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law, and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.
  12. There is one law giver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you that judges another?
  13. Go to now, you that say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain,
  14. When you do not know what shall be on the next day. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.
  15. For that you ought to say, "If the LORD wills, we shall live, and do this, or that.
  16. But now you rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
  17. Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.

 
 
 
Chapter 5
  1. Go now, you rich men, to 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. You have heaped treasure together for the last days.
  4. Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is kept back by fraud by you, cries, and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the LORD of sabaoth.
  5. You have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; you have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
  6. You have condemned and killed the just; and he does not resist you.
  7. Be patient therefore, brethren, for the coming of the LORD. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.
  8. Be also patient; establish your hearts, for the coming of the LORD draws near.
  9. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the judge stands 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 who endure. You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the LORD; that the LORD has much pity, and is 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 you 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 has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
  16. Confess your faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
  17. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for 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 err from the truth, and one converts him;
  20. Let him know, that he who converts the sinner from the error of his ways shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

 
 
 
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