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James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
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My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
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Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
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But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
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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.
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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.
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For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
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A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
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Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
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But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
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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.
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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.
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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:
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But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
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Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
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Do not err, my beloved brethren.
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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.
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Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
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Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
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For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
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Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
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But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
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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:
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For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
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But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
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If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
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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.
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My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
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For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
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And ye have respect to him that weareth 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:
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Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
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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?
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But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
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Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
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If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
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But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
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For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
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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.
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So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
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For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
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What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
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If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
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And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
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Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
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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.
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Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
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But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
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Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
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Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
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And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
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Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
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Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
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For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
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My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
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For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
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Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
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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.
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Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
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And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: 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.
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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:
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But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
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Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
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Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
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Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
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Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
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Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
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But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
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This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
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For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
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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.
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And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
