THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES
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1 Iames the seruaut of God and of the Lorde Iesus Christ sendeth gretinge to thee .xii. trybes which are scattered here and there. 2 My brethren count it excedynge ioye when ye faule into divers temptacions 3 for as moche as ye knowe how that the tryinge of youre fayth bringeth pacience: and let pacience 4 have her parfect worke that ye maye be parfecte and sounde lackinge nothinge. 5 Yf eny of you lacke wysdome let him axe of God which geveth to all men indifferentlie and casteth no man in the teth: and it shal be geven him. 6 But let him axe in fayth and waver not. For he that douteth is lyke the waves of the see tost of the wynde and caried with violence. 7 Nether let that man thinke that he shall receave eny thinge of the Lorde. 8 A waveringe mynded man is vnstable in all his wayes. 9 Let the brother of lowe degre reioyce in that he is exalted 10 and the ryche in that he is made lowe. For even as the flower of the grasse shall he vanysshe awaye. 11 The sonne ryseth with heate and the grasse wydereth and his flower falleth awaye and the beautie of the fassion of it perissheth: even so shall the ryche man perisshe with his aboundance. 12 Happy is the man that endureth in temptacion for when he is tryed he shall receave the croune of lyfe which the Lorde hath promysed to them that love him. 13 Let no man saye when he is tepted that he is tempted of God. For God tepteth not vnto evyll nether tepteth he anie man. 14 But every man is tepted drawne awaye and entysed of his awne concupiscece. 15 Then when lust hath conceaved she bringeth forth synne and synne when it is fynisshed bringeth forthe deeth. 16 Erre not my deare brethren. 17 Every good gyfte and every parfayt gyft is from above and commeth doune from the father of light with whom is no variablenes nether is he chaunged vnto darcknes. 18 Of his awne will begat he vs with the worde of lyfe that we shuld be the fyrst frutes of his creatures. 19 Wherfore deare brethren let every man be swyfte to heare slowe to speake and slowe to wrath. 20 For the wrath of man worketh not that which is ryghteous before God. 21 Wherfore laye a parte all fylthynes all superfluite of maliciousnes and receave with meknes the worde that is grafted in you which is able to save youre soules . 22 And se that ye be doars of the worde and not hearers only deceavinge youre awne selves with sophistrie 23 For yf eny heare the worde and do it not he is lyke vnto a man that beholdeth his bodyly face in a glasse. 24 For assone as he hath loked on him silfe he goeth his waye and forgetteth immediatlie what his fassion was. 25 But whoso loketh in the parfaict lawe of libertie and continueth ther in (yf he be not a forgetfull hearer but a doar of the worke) the same shall be happie in his dede. 26 Yf eny man amonge you seme devoute and refrayne not his tonge: but deceave his awne herte this mannes devocion is in vayne 27 Pure devocion and vndefiled before God the father is this: to vysit the frendlesse and widdowes in their adversite and to kepe him silfe vnspotted of the worlde.