|
JAMES
CHAPTER
1
1
Iames a seruaunt of God, and of the lorde Iesus Christ, to ye twelue tribes
which are scattred abroade, greetyng.
2 My brethren, count it all ioy whe ye fall into diuers temptations:
3 Knowyng (this) that the trying of your fayth worketh patience:
4 And let patience haue [her] perfect worke, that ye may be perfect & sounde,
lackyng nothyng.
5 If any of you lacke wisdome, let him aske of God, that geueth to all men
indifferentlie, and casteth no man in the teeth: and it shalbe geuen hym.
6 But let hym aske in fayth, nothyng waueryng: For he that wauereth, is like a
waue of the sea, tost of the wynde, and caryed with violence.
7 Neither let that man thynke that he shall receaue any thyng of the Lorde.
8 A double mynded man, [is] vnstable in all his wayes.
9 Let the brother of lowe degree, reioyce in that he is exalted:
10 Agayne, the riche, in that he is made lowe: Because as the flowre of the
grasse
he shall passe away.
11 For the sunne hath rysen with heate, and the
grasse
hath withered, and his flowre hath fallen away, & the beautie of the
fashion of it hath perished: So also shall the ryche man fade away in his wayes.
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: For when he is tryed, he shall
receaue the crowne of lyfe, which the Lorde hath promised to them that loue hym.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God can not be
tempted with euyl, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But euery man is tempted, when he is drawen away, & entised of his owne
concupiscence.
15 Then, when lust hath conceaued, it bryngeth foorth sinne: and sinne when it
is finished, bryngeth foorth death.
16 Do not erre my deare brethren.
17 Euery good geuyng, and euery perfect gyft is from aboue, and cometh downe
from the father of lyghtes, with who is no variablenes, neither shadow of
turnyng.
18 Of his owne wyll begat he vs with the worde of trueth, that we shoulde be the
first fruites of his creatures.
19 Wherfore my deare brethre, let euery man be swyft to heare, slowe to speake,
slowe to wrath.
20 For the wrath of man, worketh not that which is ryghteous before God.
21 Wherfore, lay apart all filthinesse, and superfluitie of maliciousnes, and
receaue with mekenesse, the worde that is graffed in you, which is able to saue
your soules.
22 And be ye doers of the worde, and not hearers only, deceauyng your owne
selues.
23 For yf any be a hearer of the worde, and not a doer, he is lyke vnto a man
beholdyng his bodyly face in a glasse:
24 For he hath considered hym selfe, and is gone his wayes, & hath forgotten
immediatly what his fashion was.
25 But who so loketh in the perfect lawe of libertie, and continueth [therin] he
being not a forgetfull hearer, but a doer of the worke, shalbe blessed in his
deede.
26 If any man among you seeme to be deuout, and refrayneth not his tongue, but
deceaueth his owne heart, this mans deuotion is vayne.
27 Pure deuotion and vndefyled before God and the father, is this: To visite the
fatherlesse and widdowes in their aduersitie, and to kepe hymselfe vnspotted of
the worlde.
CHAPTER
2
1 My brethren, haue not the fayth of our Lorde Iesus Christe, the Lord of glorie,
with respect of persons.
2 For yf there come into your companie a man wearing a golde ryng, clothed in
goodly apparell, and there come in also a poore man in vile rayment:
3 And ye haue a respect to hym that weareth the gay clothyng, and say vnto hym,
sitte thou here in a good place: & say vnto the poore, stande thou there, or
sitte here vnder my footestoole:
4 Are ye not partiall in your selues, and are made iudges of euyll thoughtes?
5 Hearken my deare beloued brethren. Hath not God chosen the poore of this
worlde, such as are riche in fayth, and heyres of the kyngdome, which he
promised to them that loue hym?
6 But ye haue despised the poore. Do not riche men oppresse you by tirannie, and
drawe you before the iudgementes seates?
7 Do not they blaspheme that good name by the which you are named?
8 If ye fulfyll the royal lawe, according to the scripture, thou shalt loue thy
neighbour as thy selfe, ye do well:
9 But yf ye regarde one person more then another, ye commit sinne, and are
rebuked of the lawe, as transgressours.
10 Whosoeuer shal kepe the whole lawe, and yet fayle in one poynt, he is gyltie
of all.
11 For he that sayde, thou shalt not commit adulterie: sayde also, thou shalt
not kyll. Though thou do none adulterie, yet yf thou kyll, thou art become a
transgressour of the lawe.
12 So speake ye, and so do, as they that shalbe iudged by the lawe of libertie.
13 For he shall haue iudgement without mercie, that sheweth no mercie: And
mercie reioyceth agaynst iudgement.
14 What profiteth it my brethren, though a man say he hath fayth, and hath not
deedes? Can fayth saue hym?
15 If a brother or a sister be naked, and destitute of dayly foode,
16 And one of you say vnto them, depart in peace, be you warmed and fylled:
notwithstandyng, ye geue them not those thinges which are nedefull to, the body,
what shall it profite?
17 Euen so, fayth, yf it haue not deedes, is dead in it selfe:
18 But some man wyll say, thou hast fayth and I haue deedes: shewe me thy fayth
by thy deedes, and I wyll shewe thee my faith by my deedes.
19 Beleuest thou that there is one God? Thou doest well. The deuyls also beleue,
and tremble.
20 But wylt thou knowe, O thou vayne man, that that fayth which is without
workes, is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father iustified through workes, when he had offered
Isaac his sonne vpon the aulter?
22 Seest thou not, howe ye faith wrought with his deedes, and through ye deedes
was the fayth made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfylled, which sayth: Abraham beleued God, and it was
reputed vnto hym for ryghteousnesse: And he was called the friende of God.
24 Ye see then, howe that of deedes a man is iustified, and not of fayth only.
25 Lykewyse also, was not Rahab the harlot iustified through workes, when she
had receaued the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirite is dead: euen so, fayth without workes,
is dead [also]
CHAPTER
3
1 My brethren, be not manie maisters, knowyng howe that we shall receaue the
greater damnation:
2 For in many thynges we sinne all. If a man sinne not in word, the same is a
perfect man, and able also to bridle all the body.
3 Beholde, we put bittes in the horses mouthes, that they may obey vs, and we
turne about all the body of them:
4 Beholde also ye shippes, which though they be so great, and are dryuen of
fierce windes, yet are they turned about with a very small helme, whither soeuer
the violence of the gouernour wyll.
5 Euen so the tongue is a litle member also, & boasteth great thynges.
Beholde how great a matter a litle fire kindleth.
6 And the tongue is fyre, euen a worlde of wickednesse. So is the tongue set
among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fyre the
course of nature, & it is set on fyre of hell.
7 All the natures of beastes, & of byrdes, and of serpentes, and thynges of
the sea, are meeked and tamed of the nature of man:
8 But the tongue can no man tame, it is an vnruly euyll, full of deadly poyson.
9 Therwith blesse we God the father: and therwith curse we men, which are made
after the similitude of God.
10 Out of one mouth proceadeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these thynges
ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountayne sende foorth at one place, sweete water, and bitter also?
12 Can the fygge tree, my brethren, beare oliue beries? either a vine beare
figges? So can no fountayne geue both salt water and freshe also.
13 Who is a wise man, and endued with knoweledge among you? let him shewe his
workes out of good conuersation with mekenesse of wisdome.
14 But yf ye haue bitter enuiyng & strife in your hearte, glorie not,
neither be lyers agaynst the trueth.
15 For such wisdome descendeth not fro aboue: but is earthlie, sensuall, and
deuelishe.
16 For where enuiyng and strife is, there is sedition & all maner of euyll
workes.
17 But the wisdome that is from aboue, is first pure, then peaseable, gentle,
and easie to be entreated, full of mercie and good fruites, without iudgyng,
without simulation:
18 Yea, and the fruite of ryghteousnes is sowen in peace, of the that make
peace.
CHAPTER
4
1 From whence cometh warre and fightyng among you? come they not here hence,
euen of your lustes that fight in your members?
2 Ye lust, and haue not: Ye enuie, and haue indignation, and can not obtayne: Ye
fyght and warre, ye haue not, because ye aske not.
3 Ye aske and receaue not, because ye aske amisse, euen to consume it vpon your
lustes.
4 Ye adulterers & adultresses, knowe you not howe that the frendship of the
world is enmitie with God? Whosoeuer therfore wylbe a friende of the worlde, is
made the enemie of God.
5 Either do ye thynke that the scripture sayth in vayne, the spirite that
dwelleth in vs, lusteth after enuie?
6 But [the scripture] offereth more grace, and therefore sayth, God resisteth
the proude, but geueth grace vnto ye lowlie.
7 Submit your selues therfore to God: but resist the deuyll, and he wyll flee
from you.
8 Drawe nye to God, and he wyll drawe nye to you. Clense your handes ye sinners,
and purifie your heartes ye double mynded.
9 Suffer afflictions, and mourne, and weepe: Let your laughter be turned to
mournyng, and your ioy to heauinesse.
10 Humble your selues in the sight of the Lorde, and he shall lyft you vp.
11 Backbite not one another brethren. He that backbiteth his brother, and he
that iudgeth his brother, backbiteth ye lawe, and iudgeth the lawe: But and yf
thou iudge the lawe, thou art not an obseruer of the lawe, but a iudge.
12 There is one lawe geuer, which is able to saue and to destroy. What art thou
that iudgest another?
13 Go to nowe ye that say, to day and to morowe let vs go into such a citie, and
continue there a yere, and bye and sell, and wynne:
14 And yet can not ye tel what shall happen on the morowe. For what thyng is
your lyfe? It is euen a vapour, that appeareth for a litle tyme, and then he
vanisheth away.
15 For that ye ought to say: If the Lorde wyll, and yf we lyue, let vs do this
or that.
16 But now ye reioyce in your boastinges: All such reioycyng is euyll.
17 Therfore to hym that knoweth howe to do good, and doth it not, to hym it is
sinne.
CHAPTER
5
1 Go to nowe ye riche men, weepe and howle on your wretchednesse that shall come
vpon you.
2 Your riches is corrupt, your garmentes are motheaten:
3 Your golde and siluer is cankred, and the rust of them shalbe a witnesse
agaynst you, and shall eate your fleshe as it were fyre. Ye haue heaped treasure
together in your last dayes.
4 Beholde, the hire of labourers, which haue reaped downe your fieldes, which
hire is of you kept backe by fraude, cryeth: and the cryes of them which haue
reaped, are entred into the eares of the Lorde Sabaoth.
5 Ye haue liued in pleasure on the earth, and ben wanton: Ye haue nourisshed
your heartes, as in a day of slaughter.
6 Ye haue condempned and kylled the iust, and he hath not resisted you.
7 Be patient therfore brethren, vnto the commyng of the Lorde. Beholde, the
husbandman wayteth for the precious fruite of the earth, and hath long patience
thervpon, vntill he receaue the early and the later rayne.
8 Be ye also patient therfore, and settle your heartes, for the commyng of the
Lorde draweth nye.
9 Grudge not one agaynst another brethren, lest ye be dampned: Beholde, the
iudge standeth before the doore.
10 Take my brethren, the prophetes for an ensample of suffering aduersitie, and
of patience, which spake in the name of the Lorde.
11 Beholde, we count the happy which endure. Ye haue hearde of the patience of
Iob, and haue knowen what ende the Lorde made: For the Lorde is very pitifull
and mercifull.
12 But aboue all thynges my brethren, sweare not, neither by heauen, neither by
earth, neither any other othe: Let your yea, be yea, and your nay nay, lest you
fall into condempnation.
13 Is any among you afflicted? let hym pray. Is any mery? let him sing psalmes.
14 Is any diseased among you? let hym call for the elders of the Churche, and
let them pray for him, and annoynt him with oyle in the name of the Lorde:
15 And the prayer of fayth shall saue the sicke, and the Lorde shall raise him
vp: and yf he haue committed sinnes, they shalbe forgeuen hym.
16 Knowledge your faultes one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may
be healed: For ye feruent prayer of a ryghteous man auayleth much.
17 Elias was a man vnder infirmities euen as we are, and he prayed in his prayer
that it myght not rayne: and it rayned not on the earth by the space of three
yeres and sixe monethes.
18 And he prayed againe, and the heauen gaue rayne, & the earth brought
foorth her fruite.
19 Brethren, yf any of you do erre from the trueth, and another conuert hym,
20 Let the same knowe, that he which conuerteth the sinner from going astray out
of his way, shall saue a soule from death, and shall hyde the multitude of
sinnes.
|
