The Epistle of James


James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ

Chapter 1:

  1. James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:  Greetings.
  2. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,  (1 Pet. 4:13)
  3. knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience,
  4. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
  5. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  (I Kings 3:9;   Prov. 2:5;   Matt. 7:7;   Jer. 29:12)   (*!*)
  6. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. (Prov. 2:5;   Mark 11:23&24)   (*!*)
  7. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
  8. he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways,   (James 4:8)
  9. Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,
  10. but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.  (Job 14:2)
  11. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes.  So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
  12. Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.  (James 5:11;  Matt. 10:22)
  13. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God;" for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
  14. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
  15. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.  (Job 15:35;   Rom. 5:12;   Rom. 6:23)
  16. Do not be deceived, 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 variation or shadow of turning.  (Job 25:3)    (*!*)
  18. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of His creatures.  (John 1:13;   Eph. 1:12)
  19. Therefore, my beloved brethren,
    let every man be swift to hear,
     slow to speak,
      slow to wrath;      (Prov. 10:19;   _17:27;   _14:17;   _16:32)
  20. for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
  21. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
  22. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  (Matt 7:21- 28;   Rom. 2:13)
  23. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;  (Luke 6:47)
  24. for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what king of man he was.

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Chapter 2:

  1. My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory, with partiality.
    (1 Cor. 2:8;   Lev. 19:15)
  2. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,
  3. and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool,"  (Prov. 18:23)
  4. have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
  5. Listen, my beloved brethren:  Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?  (Luke 12:21)
  6. But you have dishonoured the poor man.  Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?
    (1 Cor. 11:22;   Acts 13:50;   Prov. 18:23;   Prov. 22:7)
  7. Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?   (1 Pet. 4:16)
  12. So
  13. For
  14. What
  15. If
  16. and
  17. Thus
  18. But
  19. You believe that there is one God.  You do well.  Even the demons believe - and tremble!
  20. But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
  21. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
  22. Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?  (Heb. 11:17;   John 8:39)

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Chapter 3:

  1. My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgement.  (Matt. 23:8;   Luke 6:37)
  2. For we all stumble in many things.  If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.  (1 Kin. 8:46;   Ps. 34:13;   Prov. 10:19;   Prov. 21:23)
  3. Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.  (Ps. 32:9)
  4. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder whenever the pilot desires.
  5. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.  See how great a forest a little fire kindles!  (Ps. 12:3;   Ps. 39:1;   Ps. 73:8;   Prov. 12:18;   Prov. 15:2)
  6. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity.  The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.
  7. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.
  8. But no man can tame the tongue.  It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  (Ps. 140:3)
  9. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.
  10. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
  11. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?
  12. Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?  Thus no spring can yield both salt water and fresh.  (Ps. 39:1)
  13. Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
  14. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.  (Rom. 2:17;   Rom. 13:13)
  15. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.  (Phil. 3:19)
  16. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing will be there.  (1 Cor. 3:3)
  17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.  (Prov. 18:4;  1 Cor. 2:6 - 7;   James 2:1;   Rom. 12:9)   (*!*)
  18. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.  (Prov. 11:18)

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Chapter 4:

  1. Where do wars and fights come from amongst you?  Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?  (Rom. 7:23;   1 Pet. 2:11)
  2. You lust and do not have.  You murder and covet and cannot obtain.  You fight and war, yet you do not have because you do not ask.
  3. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
  4. Adulterers and adulteresses!  Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
  5. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously?"  (Gen. 6:5;   Prov. 21:10)
  6. But He gives more grace.  Therefore He says:
          7. "God resists the proud,
            But gives grace to the humble."   (Prov. 3:34)
  7. Therefore submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. (Eph. 4:27;  Eph 6:11)   (*!*)
  8. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  (2 Cor. 15:2;   Is. 1:16;   James 1:8;   1 Pet. 1:22)   (*!*)
  13. Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit;"
  14. whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  (Ps. 102:3)
  15. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."  (Acts 18:21)
  16. But now you boast in your arrogance.  All such boasting is evil.  (1 Cor. 5:6;    Prov. 27:1)
  17. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.  (Luke 12:47)

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Chapter 5:

  1. Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!  (Luke 12:21)
  2. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.  (Matt. 6:20;   Job 13:28)
  3. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire.  You have heaped up treasure in the last days.  (Rom. 2:5)
  4. Indeed the wages of the labourers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.  (Deut. 24:15)
  5. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.   (Luke 12:21)
  6. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.
  7. Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.  See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.
  8. You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.  (Gal. 6:9)
  9. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned.  Behold the judge is standing at the door!
  11. Indeed we count them blessed who endure.  You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord, that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.  (Job 42:12;   James 1:12)
  19. Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,  (Gal. 6:1)
  20. let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.  (Matt. 18:15;   Rom. 11:14;   1 Pet. 4:8)

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Last Updated August 09, 2009 by A Servant 

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