Chapter 1

James, the servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are in the Dispersion: greeting. Wisdom of Trials

Esteem it all joy, my brethren, when you fall into various trials,

knowing that the trying of your faith begets patience.

And let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.

But if any of you is wanting in wisdom, let him ask it of God, who gives abundantly to all men, and does not reproach; and it will be given to him.

But let him ask with faith, without hesitation. For he who hesitates is like a wave of the sea, driven and carried about by the wind.

Therefore, let not such a one think that he will receive anything from the Lord,

being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

But let the brother of lowly condition glory in his high estate,

and the rich man in his low condition; for he will pass away like the flower of the grass.

For the sun rises with a burning heat and parches the grass, and its flower falls and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So too will the rich man wither in his ways.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been tried, he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him. Sources of Evil and Good

Let no man say when he is tempted, that he is tempted by God; for God is no tempter to evil, and he himself tempts no one.

But everyone is tempted by being drawn away and enticed by his own passion.

Then when passion has conceived, it brings forth sin; but when sin has matured, it begets death.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, do not err.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration.

Of his own will he has begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be, as it were, the first-fruits of his creatures. Hearers and Doers of the Word of God

You know this, my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath.

For the wrath of man does not work the justice of God.

Therefore, casting aside all uncleanness and abundance of malice, with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror:

for he looks at himself and goes away, and presently he forgets what kind of man he is.

But he who has looked carefully into the perfect law of liberty and has remained in it, not becoming a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, shall be blessed in his deed.

And if anyone thinks himself to be religious, not restraining his tongue but deceiving his own heart, that man's religion is vain.

Religion pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to give aid to orphans and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself unspotted from this world.