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JAMES
CHAPTER
1
1
Iames a seruant of God, and of the Lorde Iesus Christ, to the twelue Tribes,
which are scattered abroade, salutation.
2 My brethren, count it exceeding ioy, when ye fall into diuers tentations,
3 Knowing that ye trying of your faith bringeth forth patience,
4 And let patience haue her perfect worke, that ye may be perfect & entier,
lacking nothing.
5 If any of you lacke wisedome, let him aske of God, which giueth to all men
liberally, & reprocheth no man, and it shalbe giuen him.
6 But let him aske in faith, and wauer not: for hee that wauereth, is like a
waue of the sea, tost of the winde, and caried away.
7 Neither let that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is vnstable in all his waies.
9 Let the brother of lowe degree reioyce in that he is exalted:
10 Againe hee that is rich, in that hee is made lowe: for as the flower of the
grasse
, shall he vanish away.
11 For as when the sunne riseth with heate, then the
grasse
withereth, and his flower falleth away, and the goodly shape of it perisheth:
euen so shall the rich man wither away in all his waies.
12 Blessed is ye man, that endureth tentation: for when he is tried, hee shall
receiue the crowne of life, which the Lorde hath promised to them that loue him.
13 Let no man say when hee is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God can not bee
tempted with euill, neither tempteth he any man.
14 But euery man is tempted, when hee is drawen away by his owne concupiscence,
and is entised.
15 Then when lust hath conceiued, it bringeth foorth sinne, and sinne when it is
finished, bringeth foorth death.
16 Erre not, my deare brethren.
17 Euery good giuing, and euery perfect gift is from aboue, and commeth downe
from the Father of lights, with whome is no variablenes, neither shadow of
turning.
18 Of his owne will begate hee vs with the woorde of trueth, that we shoulde be
as the first fruites of his creatures.
19 Wherefore my deare brethren, let euery man be swift to heare, slowe to speake,
and slowe to wrath.
20 For the wrath of man doeth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse, and superfluitie of maliciousnesse, and
receiue with meekenes the word that is graffed in you, which is able to saue
your soules.
22 And be ye doers of the word, and not hearers onely, deceiuing your owne
selues.
23 For if any heare the woorde, and doe it not, he is like vnto a man, that
beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse.
24 For when he hath considered himselfe, hee goeth his way, and forgetteth
immediately what maner of one he was.
25 But who so looketh in the perfect Lawe of libertie, and continueth therein,
hee not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the woorke, shalbe blessed in
his deede.
26 If any man amog you seeme religious, and refraineth not his tongue, but
deceiueth his owne heart, this mans religion is vaine.
27 Pure religion & vndefiled before God, euen the Father, is this, to visite
the fatherlesse, and widdowes in their aduersitie, and to keepe himselfe
vnspotted of the world.
CHAPTER
2
1 My brethren, haue not the faith of our glorious Lorde Iesus Christ in respect
of persons.
2 For if there come into your copany a man with a golde ring, and in goodly
apparell, and there come in also a poore man in vile raiment,
3 And ye haue a respect to him that weareth the gaie clothing; and say vnto him,
Sit thou here in a goodly place, and say vnto the poore, Stand thou there, or
sit here vnder my footestoole,
4 Are yee not partiall in your selues, and are become iudges of euill thoughts?
5 Hearken my beloued brethren, hath not God chosen the poore of this worlde,
that they should be rich in faith, and heires of the kingdome which he promised
to them that loue him?
6 But ye haue despised the poore. Doe not the riche oppresse you by tyrannie,
and doe not they drawe you before the iudgement seates?
7 Doe nor they blaspheme the worthie Name after which yee be named?
8 But if yee fulfill the royall Lawe according to the Scripture, which saith,
Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe, yee doe well.
9 But if yee regarde the persons, yee commit sinne, and are rebuked of the Lawe,
as transgressours.
10 For whosoeuer shall keepe the whole Lawe, and yet faileth in one poynt, hee
is guiltie of all.
11 For he that saide, Thou shalt not commit adulterie, saide also, Thou shalt
not kill. Nowe though thou doest none adulterie, yet if thou killest, thou art a
transgressour of the Lawe.
12 So speake ye, and so doe, as they that shal be iudged by the Lawe of libertie.
13 For there shalbe condemnation merciles to him that sheweth not mercie, and
mercie reioyceth against condemnation.
14 What auaileth it, my brethren, though a man saith he hath faith, when he hath
no workes? can that faith saue him?
15 For if a brother or a sister bee naked and destitute of daily foode,
16 And one of you say vnto them, Depart in peace: warme your selues, and fil
your bellies, notwithstading ye giue them not those things which are needefull
to the body, what helpeth it?
17 Euen so the faith, if it haue no woorkes, is dead in it selfe.
18 But some man might say, Thou hast the faith, and I haue woorkes: shewe me thy
faith out of thy woorkes, and I will shewe thee my faith by my woorkes.
19 Thou beleeuest that there is one God: thou doest well: the deuils also
beleeue it, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou vnderstand, O thou vaine man, that the faith which is without
workes, is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father iustified through workes, when he offred Isaac his
sonne vpon the altar?
22 Seest thou not that the faith wrought with his workes? and through the workes
was the faith made perfect.
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which sayeth, Abraham beleeued God, and it
was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse: and hee was called the friende of God.
24 Ye see then howe that of workes a man is iustified, and not of faith onely.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot iustified through workes, when she had
receiued ye messengers, & sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without ye spirit is dead, euen so the faith without workes
is dead.
CHAPTER
3
1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receiue the greater
condemnation.
2 For in many things we sinne all. If any man sinne not in word, he is a perfect
man, and able to bridle all the body.
3 Beholde, we put bittes into the horses mouthes, that they should obey vs, and
we turne about all their bodie.
4 Behold also the shippes, which though they be so great, and are driuen of
fierce windes, yet are they turned about with a very small rudder, whither
soeuer the gouernour listeth.
5 Euen so the tongue is a litle member, and boasteth of great things: beholde,
howe great a thing a litle fire kindleth.
6 And the tongue is fire, yea, a worlde of wickednesse: so is the tongue set
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.
7 For the whole nature of beasts, & of birds, and of creeping things, and
things of the sea is tamed, and hath bene tamed of the nature of man.
8 But the tongue can no man tame. It is an vnruly euill, full of deadly poyson.
9 Therewith blesse we God euen the Father, and therewith curse we men, which are
made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of one mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing: my brethren, these things
ought not so to be.
11 Doeth a fountaine send forth at one place sweete water and bitter?
12 Can ye figge tree, my brethren, bring forth oliues, either a vine figges? so
can no fountaine make both salt water and sweete.
13 Who is a wise man & endued with knowledge among you? let him shew by good
conuersation his workes in meekenesse of wisdome.
14 But if ye haue bitter enuying and strife in your hearts, reioyce not, neither
be liars against the trueth.
15 This wisedome descendeth not from aboue, but is earthly, sensuall, and
deuilish.
16 For where enuying and strife is, there is sedition, and all maner of euill
workes.
17 But the wisedome that is from aboue, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
easie to be intreated, full of mercie & good fruites, without iudging, and
without hipocrisie.
18 And the fruite of righteousnesse is sowen in peace, of them that make peace.
CHAPTER
4
1 From whence are warres and contentions among you? are they not hence, euen of
your pleasures, that fight in your members?
2 Ye lust, and haue not: ye enuie, and desire immoderately, and cannot obtaine:
ye fight and warre, and get nothing, because ye aske not.
3 Ye aske, and receiue not, because ye aske amisse, that ye might lay the same
out on your pleasures.
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, knowe ye not that the amitie of the world is
the enimitie of God? Whosoeuer therefore will be a friend of the world, maketh
himselfe the enemie of God.
5 Doe ye thinke that the Scripture sayeth in vaine, The spirit that dwelleth in
vs, lusteth after enuie?
6 But the Scripture offereth more grace, and therefore sayth, God resisteth the
proude, and giueth grace to the humble.
7 Submit your selues to God: resist the deuill, and he will flee from you.
8 Drawe neere to God, and he will drawe nere to you. Clense your handes, ye
sinners, and purge your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Suffer afflictions, and sorrowe ye, and weepe: let your laughter be turned
into mourning, and your ioy into heauinesse.
10 Cast downe your selues before the Lord, and he will lift you vp.
11 Speake not euill one of another, brethren. He that speaketh euill of his
brother, or he that condemneth his brother, speaketh euill of ye Law, and
condemneth the Lawe: and if thou condemnest the Lawe, thou art not an obseruer
of the Lawe, but a iudge.
12 There is one Lawgiuer, which is able to saue, and to destroy. Who art thou
that iudgest another man?
13 Goe to now ye that say, To day or to morowe we will goe into such a citie,
and continue there a yeere, and bye and sell, and get gaine,
14 (And yet ye cannot tell what shalbe to morowe. For what is your life? It is
euen a vapour that appeareth for a litle time, and afterward vanisheth away)
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, and, if we liue, we will doe this
or that.
16 But nowe ye reioyce in your boastings: all such reioycing is euill.
17 Therefore, to him that knoweth howe to doe well, and doeth it not, to him it
is sinne.
CHAPTER
5
1 Go to nowe, ye rich men: weepe, and howle for your miseries that shall come
vpon you.
2 Your riches are corrupt, and your garments are moth eaten.
3 Your gold and siluer is cankred, & the rust of them shalbe a witnesse
against you, and shall eate your flesh, as it were fire. Ye haue heaped vp
treasure for the last dayes.
4 Behold, the hire of ye labourers, which haue reaped your fieldes (which is of
you kept backe by fraude) cryeth, and the cryes of them which haue reaped, are
entred into the eares of the Lord of hostes.
5 Ye haue liued in pleasure on the earth, and in wantonnes. Ye haue nourished
your heartes, as in a day of slaughter.
6 Ye haue condemned and haue killed the iust, and he hath not resisted you.
7 Be patient therefore, brethren, vnto the comming of the Lord. Behold, the
husbandman wayteth for the precious fruite of the earth, and hath long patience
for it, vntill he receiue the former, and the latter rayne.
8 Be ye also patient therefore and settle your hearts: for ye comming of the
Lord draweth nere.
9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, least ye be condemned: behold, the
iudge standeth before the doore.
10 Take, my brethren, the Prophets for an ensample of suffering aduersitie, and
of long patience, which haue spoken in the Name of the Lord.
11 Beholde, we count them blessed which endure. Ye haue heard of the patience of
Iob, and haue knowen what ende the Lord made. For the Lord is very pitifull and
mercifull.
12 But before all thinges, my brethren, sweare not, neither by heauen, nor by
earth, nor by any other othe: but let your yea, be yea, and your nay, nay, lest
ye fall into condemnation.
13 Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merie? Let him sing.
14 Is any sicke among you? Let him call for the Elders of the Church, and let
them pray for him, and anoynt him with oyle in the Name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke, and the Lord shall raise him vp:
and if he haue committed sinnes, they shalbe forgiuen him.
16 Acknowledge your faultes one to another, and pray one for another, that ye
may be healed: for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much, if it be feruent.
17 Helias was a man subiect to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly
that it might not rayne, and it rayned not on the earth for three yeeres and
sixe moneths.
18 And he prayed againe, and the heauen gaue rayne, and the earth brought forth
her fruite.
19 Brethren, if any of you hath erred from the trueth, and some man hath
conuerted him,
20 Let him knowe that he which hath conuerted the sinner from going astray out
of his way, shall saue a soule from death, and shal hide a multitude of sinnes.
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