James1

James addresses the scattered tribes, urging them to find joy in trials, as they develop patience. He emphasizes asking God for wisdom in faith and warns against being double-minded. The chapter clarifies that God does not tempt, but rather lust leads to sin. It concludes by stressing the importance of being a doer of God's word, not just a hearer, and defines pure religion as active charity and personal purity.

Salutation and Audience

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Iames a seruant of God, and of the Lord Iesus Christ, to the twelue Tribes, which are scattered abroade, salutation.

Trials Produce Endurance

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My brethren, count it exceeding ioy, when ye fall into diuers tentations,
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Knowing that ye trying of your faith bringeth forth patience,
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And let patience haue her perfect worke, that ye may be perfect and entier, lacking nothing.

Ask for Wisdom in Faith

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If any of you lacke wisedome, let him aske of God, which giueth to all men liberally, and reprocheth no man, and it shalbe giuen him.
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But let him aske in faith, and wauer not: for hee that wauereth, is like a waue of the sea, tost of the winde, and caried away.
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Neither let that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord.
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A double minded man is vnstable in all his waies.
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Let the brother of lowe degree reioyce in that he is exalted:
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Againe hee that is rich, in that hee is made lowe: for as the flower of the grasse, shall he vanish away.
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For as when the sunne riseth with heate, then the grasse withereth, and his flower falleth away, and the goodly shape of it perisheth: euen so shall the rich man wither away in all his waies.

Temptation is Not from God

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Blessed is ye man, that endureth tentation: for when he is tried, hee shall receiue the crowne of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him.

The Source of Temptation

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Let no man say when hee is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God can not bee tempted with euill, neither tempteth he any man.
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But euery man is tempted, when hee is drawen away by his owne concupiscence, and is entised.
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Then when lust hath conceiued, it bringeth foorth sinne, and sinne when it is finished, bringeth foorth death.
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Erre not, my deare brethren.
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Euery good giuing, and euery perfect gift is from aboue, and commeth downe from the Father of lights, with whome is no variablenes, neither shadow of turning.
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Of his owne will begate hee vs with the woorde of trueth, that we shoulde be as the first fruites of his creatures.

Hearing, Speaking, and Anger

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Wherefore my deare brethren, let euery man be swift to heare, slowe to speake, and slowe to wrath.
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For the wrath of man doeth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God.
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Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse, and superfluitie of maliciousnesse, and receiue with meekenes the word that is graffed in you, which is able to saue your soules.

Be Doers of the Word

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And be ye doers of the word, and not hearers onely, deceiuing your owne selues.
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For if any heare the woorde, and doe it not, he is like vnto a man, that beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse.
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For when he hath considered himselfe, hee goeth his way, and forgetteth immediately what maner of one he was.
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But who so looketh in the perfect Lawe of libertie, and continueth therein, hee not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the woorke, shalbe blessed in his deede.

Defining True Religion

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If any man amog you seeme religious, and refraineth not his tongue, but deceiueth his owne heart, this mans religion is vaine.
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Pure religion and vndefiled before God, euen the Father, is this, to visite the fatherlesse, and widdowes in their aduersitie, and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world.
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