v. 7.

18 Be obedient, and submit yourselves, to those who rule over you; for they watch over your souls, as they that must render an account of them: that they may do it with joy, and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

19 Pray for us; for we trust we have a good conscience, willing in all things to live rightly:

20 and I more earnestly beseech you to do this, that I may the sooner be restored to you. 21 And may the God of peace,

(who brought again from the dead, by the blood of the Eternal Covenant, the great Shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ,)

22 perfect you in every good work, for doing his will; working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever. Amen!

23 And I beseech you, brethren, to bear with this word 2 Cor. xiii. II. of exhortation; for I have written to you but in few words.

24 Ye know, that our brother Timothy is released; with whom, if he go shortly, I will see you.

25 Salute all who rule over you, and all the saints: those of Italy salute you.

26 Grace be with you all. Amen!

CHAPTER I.

JAMES, a servant of God

and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, wisheth health.

2 My brethren, account it all joy, when ye fall under various trials;

3 knowing, that the proving of your faith worketh patience

4 but, let patience have its perfect work; that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting in nothing.

5 If any of you be wanting in wisdom, let him ask it of God, who giveth bountifully to all, and upbraideth not; and it will be given him:

6 but, let him ask with faith, doubting nothing; for, he who doubteth, is like a wave of the sea blown and driven by the wind; 7 for, let not that man think that he will receive any thing from the Lord:

8 a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree, rejoice in his exalta

tion;

10 but, the rich brother, in his humiliation for, as the flower of the grass he will

pass away:

11 for, as when the sun is risen with a burning heat, it withereth the grass, and its 1 Pet. i. 23. flower falleth, and the grace of its form perisheth; so, also, will the rich man fade away in his progress.

12 Blessed is the man that endureth trial; for, when he Job, v. 17. is proved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

13 Let no one say, when he is tempted, I am tempted by God; for, as God cannot be tempted by evil, so neither doth he tempt any one:

14 but, every one who is tempted, is drawn away and enticed by his own lust:

15 then, when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin;

and sin, when it is completed, bringeth forth death.

freedom, and continueth to do so; not being a forgetful

thren :

17 every good gift, and every perfect endowment, is from above; and cometh down from the Father of the Lights, with whom is no changing, or shade from revolving:

18 that, of his own will he gave us birth, by the word of truth, that we should be a sort of first-fruit of his creatures, ye know, my beloved brethren. 19 Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger:

20 for, the anger of man worketh not the justification of God:

21 wherefore, putting away from you all uncleanness and excess of evil, receive with meekness the word implanted in you, which is able to save your souls.

22 But, be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves:

23 for, if any one be a hearer of the word only, and not a doer also, he is like a man that looketh at his natural face in a glass;

24 for he looketh at himself indeed, but goeth away; and straightway forgetteth what sort of man he was.

25 But, he who looketh steadfastly into the perfect law of

c. v. 14.

but, ye thus disgrace the beggar. 6 Do not the rich oppress you, and drag you before judgment-seats? do not they blaspheme that good Name by which ye are called?

7 If, indeed, ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Lev. xix. 18. "Thou shalt love thy neigh"bour as thyself," ye do well:

but, if ye respect persons, ye commit sin, and are convicted, by the law, as transgressors:

8 for, whosoever shall keep the whole law, but fail in one point, becometh guilty of all: 9 for, he who said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not kill: but, if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou becomest a transgressor of the law.

10 So speak, and so do, as being to be judged by a law of freedom:

11 for, judgment without mercy, will be to him that sheweth no mercy; but, mercy exulteth over judgment.

12 What doth it profit a man, my brethren, if he say he hath faith, but have not works? can his faith alone save him?

13 If a brother or a sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

14 and one of you say to them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled, and ye give them not the things which are needful

profit?

15 and so, the faith by itself is dead, if it have not its works. 16 Yea, some one may say, Hast thou faith? I have works also shew me thy faith apart from its works, and I will shew thee my faith by its works.

17 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble:

18 but, wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith, apart from its works, is null ?

19 Was not our father Abraham justified by his works, when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

20 thou seest, that his faith wrought with his works; and Rom. iv. 5. that, by his works his faith was perfected?

21 and thus the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, "Abra"ham believed God, and it was accounted to him for

CHAPTER III.

MY brethren, be not many

teachers; knowing, that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

2 for, in many things we all fail; but, if any one fail not in word, he is a perfect man, and able to bridle also his whole body.

3 Behold, we put bits in the mouths of horses, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body:

4 behold, the ships also; which, though they are so great, and are driven by fierce winds, are turned about by a very small helm, whither the direction of the pilot willeth :

5 even so the tongue, though it is a small member, yet boasteth great things.

6 Behold, how much matter, how little fire kindleth! and the tongue is a fire; the world of iniquity:

7 the tongue is so disposed among our members, that it defileth our whole body; and inflameth the whole course of our being, and is kindled in the birth:

8 for, the nature of all beasts, and birds, and creeping things, and things in the sea, may be, and hath been, tamed by the nature of man;

9 but, the tongue no one can

tame; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison :

10 with it, we bless the Lord, even the Father; and with it, we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God: 11 out of the same mouth, proceedeth blessing and cursing. 12 My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

13 doth a fountain send forth, from the same opening, sweet and bitter water?

14 can a fig-tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a vine, figs? neither can salt water, yield fresh water.

15 Who is wise, and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew his works by his good conduct, with meekness of wisdom:

16 but, if ye have bitter jealousy and contention in your hearts, do not glory, and belie the truth:

17 that wisdom cometh not down from above, but is earthly, animal, devilish :

18 for, where jealousy and contention are, there are disorder and every evil work.

19 But, the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy :

20 and, the fruit of justification is sown in peace, to them that make peace.