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^(F1)(C1)James, a ^(C2)bond-servant of God and ^(C3)of the Lord Jesus Christ, To ^(C4)the twelve tribes who are ^(F2)(C5)dispersed abroad: ^(C6)Greetings.

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^(C1)Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter ^(C2)various ^(F1)trials,

knowing that ^(C1)the testing of your ^(C2)faith produces ^(F1)(C3)endurance.

And let ^(F1)(C1)endurance have its perfect ^(F2)result, so that you may be ^(F3)(C2)perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

But if any of you ^(C1)lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and ^(F1)without reproach, and ^(C2)it will be given to him.

But he must ^(C1)ask in faith ^(C2)without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, ^(C3)driven and tossed by the wind.

For that person ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,

being a ^(F1)(C1)double-minded man, ^(C2)unstable in all his ways.

^(C1)Now the brother or sister of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;

but the rich person is to glory in his ^(F1)humiliation, because ^(C1)like ^(F2)flowering grass he will pass away.

For the sun rises with ^(C1)its scorching heat and ^(C2)withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so also the rich person, in the midst of his pursuits, will die out.

^(C1)Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has ^(F1)been approved, he will receive ^(C2)the crown of life which the Lord ^(C3)has promised to those who ^(C4)love Him.

No one is to say when he is tempted, "^(C1)I am being tempted ^(F1)by God"; for God cannot be tempted ^(F2)by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

Then ^(C1)when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and ^(C2)sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death.

^(C1)Do not be ^(F1)deceived, ^(C2)my beloved brothers and sisters.

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is ^(C1)from above, coming down from ^(C2)the Father of lights, ^(C3)with whom there is no variation or ^(F1)shifting shadow.

In the exercise of ^(C1)His will He ^(C2)gave us birth by ^(C3)the word of truth, so that we would be ^(F1)a kind of ^(C4)first fruits ^(F2)among His creatures.

^(F1)(C1)You know this, ^(C2)my beloved brothers and sisters. Now everyone must be quick to hear, ^(C3)slow to speak, and ^(C4)slow to anger;

for a man's ^(C1)anger does not bring about the righteousness of God.

Therefore, ^(C1)ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all ^(F1)that remains of wickedness, in ^(F2)humility receive ^(C2)the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

^(C1)But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his ^(F1)natural face ^(C1)in a mirror;

for once he has looked at himself and gone away, ^(F1)he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, ^(C1)the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but ^(F1)an active doer, this person will be ^(C2)blessed in ^(F2)what he does.

If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not ^(F1)(C1)bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person's religion is worthless.

Pure and undefiled religion ^(C1)in the sight of our God and Father is this: to ^(C2)visit ^(C3)orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained ^(F1)by ^(C4)the world.

^(C1)My brothers and sisters, ^(C2)do not hold your faith in our ^(C3)glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of ^(C4)personal favoritism.

For if a man comes into your ^(F1)assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in ^(C1)bright clothes, and a poor man in ^(C2)dirty clothes also comes in,

and you ^(F1)pay special attention to the one who is wearing the ^(C1)bright clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,"

have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges ^(C1)with evil ^(F1)motives?

Listen, ^(C1)my beloved brothers and sisters: did ^(C2)God not choose the poor ^(F1)of this world to be ^(C3)rich in faith and ^(C4)heirs of the kingdom which He ^(C5)promised to those who love Him?

But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and ^(F1)personally ^(C1)drag you into ^(F2)court?

^(C1)Do they not blaspheme the good name ^(F1)by which you have been called?

If, however, you ^(C1)are fulfilling the ^(F1)royal law according to the Scripture, "^(C2)YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well.

But if you ^(C1)show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as violators.

For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet ^(C1)stumbles in one point, has become ^(C2)guilty of all.

For He who said, "^(C1)DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "^(C2)DO NOT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do murder, you have become a violator of the Law.

So speak, and so act, as those who are to be judged by ^(C1)the law of freedom.

For ^(C1)judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy ^(F1)triumphs over judgment.

^(C1)What use is it, ^(C2)my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can ^(F1)that faith save him?

^(C1)If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,

and one of you says to them, "^(C1)Go in peace, ^(F1)be warmed and be filled," yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

In the same way, ^(C1)faith also, if it has no works, is ^(F1)dead, being by itself.

^(C1)But someone ^(F1)may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your ^(C2)faith without the works, and I will ^(C3)show you my faith ^(C4)by my works."

You believe that ^(F1)(C1)God is one. ^(C2)You do well; ^(C3)the demons also believe, and shudder.

But are you willing to acknowledge, ^(C1)you foolish person, that ^(C2)faith without works is useless?

^(C1)Was our father Abraham not justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

You see that ^(C1)faith was working with his works, and ^(F1)as a result of the ^(C2)works, faith was ^(F2)perfected;

and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "^(C1)AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called a ^(C2)friend of God.

You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

In the same way, was ^(C1)Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also ^(C2)when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also ^(C1)faith without works is dead.

^(C1)Do not become teachers in large numbers, ^(C2)my brothers, since you know that we who are teachers will incur a ^(F1)stricter judgment.

For we all ^(C1)stumble in many ways. ^(C2)If anyone does not stumble in ^(F1)what he says, he is a ^(C3)perfect man, able to ^(F2)(C4)rein in the whole body as well.

Now ^(C1)if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well.

Look at the ships too: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are nevertheless directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines.

So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it ^(C1)boasts of great things. ^(C2)See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

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And ^(C1)the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among ^(F1)our body's parts as that which ^(C2)defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our ^(F2)life, and is set on fire by ^(F3)(C3)hell.

For every ^(F1)species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human ^(F1)race.

But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of ^(C1)deadly poison.

With it we bless ^(C1)our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, ^(C2)who have been made in the likeness of God;

from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.

Does a spring send out from the same opening both ^(F1)fresh and bitter water?

^(C1)Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Nor can salt water produce ^(F1)fresh.

Who among you is wise and understanding? ^(C1)Let him show by his ^(C2)good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.

But if you have bitter ^(C1)jealousy and ^(F1)selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against ^(C2)the truth.

This wisdom is not that which comes down ^(C1)from above, but is ^(C2)earthly, ^(F1)(C3)natural, ^(C4)demonic.

For where ^(C1)jealousy and ^(F1)selfish ambition exist, ^(F2)there is disorder and every evil thing.

But the wisdom ^(C1)from above is first ^(C2)pure, then ^(C3)peace-loving, ^(C4)gentle, ^(F1)reasonable, ^(C5)full of mercy and good fruits, ^(F2)(C6)impartial, free of ^(C7)hypocrisy.

And the ^(C1)fruit of righteousness is sown in peace ^(F1)by those who make peace.

^(F1)What is the source of quarrels and ^(C1)conflicts among you? ^(F2)Is the source not your pleasures that wage ^(C2)war in ^(F3)your body's parts?

You lust and do not have, so you ^(C1)commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.

You ask and ^(C1)do not receive, because you ask ^(F1)with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request ^(F2)on your pleasures.

You ^(C1)adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with ^(C2)the world is ^(C3)hostility toward God? ^(C4)Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Or do you think that the Scripture ^(C1)says to no purpose, "^(F1)He ^(F2)jealously desires ^(C2)the Spirit whom He has made to dwell in us"?

But ^(C1)He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "^(C2)GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."

^(C1)Submit therefore to God. But ^(F1)(C2)resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

^(C1)Come close to God and He will come close to you. ^(C2)Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and ^(C3)purify your hearts, you ^(F1)(C4)double-minded.

^(C1)Be miserable, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into gloom.

^(C1)Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.