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 ye fall into divers temptations; |
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. |
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. |
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. |
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. |
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of 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 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. |
12 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. |
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: |
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. |
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. |
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. |
17 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. |
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. |
