¶ James¹, a servant² of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to³ the twelve tribes which are scattered⁴ abroad, greeting⁵.

¶ My brethren, count⁶ it all joy when ye fall into divers⁷ temptations;

Knowing this, that⁸ the trying of your faith worketh patience⁹.

But let¹⁰ patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and¹¹ entire, wanting¹² nothing.

If any of¹³ you lack wisdom, let him¹⁴ ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not¹⁵; and it shall be given him.

But let¹⁶ him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he¹⁷ that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

¹⁸For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

¹⁹A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Let the brother of²⁰ low degree rejoice in²¹ that²² he is exalted:

¶ But the rich, in²³ that he is made low: because²⁴ as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

For the sun is no sooner risen²⁵ with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so²⁶ also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

Blessed is the man²⁷ that endureth temptation: for when²⁸ he is tried, he shall receive the crown²⁹ of life, which³⁰ the Lord hath promised to them³¹ that love him.

¶ Let no man³² say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil³³, neither tempteth he any man:

But every man is tempted, when³⁴ he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Then when³⁵ lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when³⁶ it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Do³⁷ not err, my³⁸ beloved brethren.

Every good³⁹ gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the⁴⁰ Father of lights, with whom is no variableness⁴¹, neither shadow of turning.

Of his own⁴² will begat he us with⁴³ the word of truth, that we should be a kind⁴⁴ of firstfruits of his creatures.

¶ Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let⁴⁵ every man be swift to hear, slow to speak⁴⁶, slow to wrath⁴⁷:

¶⁴⁸For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Wherefore lay⁴⁹ apart all filthiness⁵⁰ and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive⁵¹ with meekness the engrafted⁵² word, which⁵³ is able to save your souls.

But be⁵⁴ ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving⁵⁵ your own selves.

⁵⁶For 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 what⁵⁷ manner of man he was.

But whoso looketh⁵⁸ into the perfect⁵⁹ law of liberty⁶⁰, and⁶¹ continueth therein, he being not a forgetful⁶² hearer, but a doer of the work, this⁶³ man shall be blessed in his deed⁶⁴.

If any man among you seem⁶⁵ to be religious, and bridleth⁶⁶ not his tongue, but⁶⁷ deceiveth his own heart, this⁶⁸ man's religion is vain.

Pure⁶⁹ religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit⁷⁰ the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep⁷¹ himself unspotted from the world.