FRIENDS

James,servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men libererally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exhaulted; But the rich, in that he is made low' because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away For 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. Blessed 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. Let no man say  he is tempted  God ,for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man; But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it brigeth forth sin' and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved ones. Every 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. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved bretheren , let every man be swift to hear slow to speak, slow to wrath; For the wrath of man worketh not the righreousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filhiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For 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' For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therin, he being not a forgeful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this mans religion is vain. 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. My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus , the Lord of Glory with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment' And ye have respect to him that wereth 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' Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts! Hearken, 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. But ye have despised the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worldy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shat Love Thy Neighbour as thyself, ye do well' But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For 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. So speak ye  and so do as they that shall be judged bu the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy. that hath shewed no mercy' and mercy rejoiceth against judgement. What doth it profit my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be yr warmed and filled' notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body' what doeth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, 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. Thou believest that there is one God. thou doet will' the devils also believe, and tremble. But will thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham beliebed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness' and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. My brethern, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in work, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses mouths, that they may obey us' and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm , whithersoever the governor listeth' Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things Behold how great  a matter a little fire kendelth. And the tongue is a fire a world of iniquility so is the tongue 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. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind; But the tongue can no man tame' it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. There with bless we Gpd, even the Father and therewith curse we me, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing My brethen, these things ought not so to be. Doeth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a bine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work. 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. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.