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Salutation
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greeting.
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If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him.
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For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.
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Poverty and Riches
Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,
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and the rich in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass he will pass away.
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For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
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Trial and Temptation
Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.
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Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one;
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but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
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Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
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Hearing and Doing the Word
Know this, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
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for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.
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For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who observes his natural face in a mirror;
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But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer that forgets but a doer that acts, he shall be blessed in his doing.
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If any one thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is vain.
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Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
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For if a man with gold rings and in fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,
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and you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while you say to the poor man, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,”
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Listen, my beloved brethren. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him?
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But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you, is it not they who drag you into court?
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Faith without Works Is Dead
What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him?
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You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder.
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Do you want to be shown, you shallow man, that faith apart from works is barren?
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Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
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You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works,
