
ENDURE TRIALS 
PATIENTLY{/}

{1}1{/}

{I}1_{/}James, a servant 
of God and of the Lord 
Jesus Christ, sends 
greetings to the twelve 
tribes scattered among 
the nations.
{I}2_{/}Consider 
yourselves fortunate, my 
brothers and sisters, 
when you meet with every 
kind of trial, 
{I}3_{/}for you know that 
the testing of your faith 
makes you steadfast. 
{I}4_{/}Let your 
steadfastness become 
perfect with deeds, that 
you yourselves may be 
perfect and blameless, 
without any defect.
{I}5_{/}If any of you is 
lacking in wisdom, ask 
God who gives to all 
easily and 
unconditionally. 
{I}6_{/}But ask with 
faith, not doubting, for 
the one who doubts is 
like a wave driven and 
tossed on the sea by the 
wind. {I}7_{/}Such a 
person should not expect 
anything from the Lord, 
since the doubter has two 
minds {I}8_{/}and his 
conduct will always be 
insecure.
{I}9_{/}Let the believer 
who is poor boast in been 
uplifted, {I}10_{/}and 
let the rich one boast in 
being humbled, because he 
will pass away like the 
flower of the field. 
{I}11_{/}The sun rises 
and its heat dries the 
grass; the flower withers 
and its beauty vanishes. 
So, too, will the rich 
person fade away even in 
the midst of his 
pursuits.
{I}12_{/}Happy are those 
who patiently endure 
trials, because 
afterwards they will 
receive the crown of life 
which the Lord promised 
to those who love him. 
{I}13_{/}No one, when 
tempted, should say, 
"This temptation comes 
from God." God is never 
tempted and he can never 
tempt anyone. 
{I}14_{/}Instead, each of 
us is lured and enticed 
by our own evil desire. 
{I}15_{/}Once this desire 
has conceived, it gives 
birth to sin, and sin, 
when fully grown, gives 
birth to death. 
{I}16_{/}Do not be 
deceived, my beloved. 
{I}17_{/}Every good and 
perfect gift comes from 
above, from the Father of 
Light, in whom there is 
no change or shadow of a 
change. {I}18_{/}By his 
own will he gave us life 
through the Word of 
Truth, that we might be a 
kind of offering to him 
among his creatures.
{I}19_{/}My beloved, be 
quick to hear but slow to 
speak and slow to anger, 
{I}20_{/}for human anger 
does not fulfill the 
justice of God. 
{I}21_{/}So get rid of 
any filth and reject the 
prevailing evil, and 
welcome the Word which 
has been planted in you 
and has the power to save 
you.
{I}22_{/}Be doers of the 
Word and not just 
hearers, lest you deceive 
yourselves. {I}23_{/}The 
hearer who does not 
become a doer is like 
that one who looked 
himself at the mirror. 
{I}24_{/}He looked and 
then promptly forgot what 
he was like. {I}25_{/}But 
those who fix their gaze 
on the perfect law of 
freedom and hold onto it, 
not listening and then 
forgetting, but acting on 
it, will find blessing on 
their deeds.
{I}26_{/}Those who think 
they are religious but do 
not restrain their 
tongue, deceive 
themselves and their 
religion is in vain. 
{I}27_{/}In the sight of 
God, our Father, pure and 
blameless religion lies 
in helping the orphans 
and widows in their need 
and keeping oneself from 
the world's corruption.
TREAT THE RICH AND THE 
POOR EQUALLY{/}

{1}2{/}

{I}1_{/}My brothers and 
sisters,  if you truly 
believe in our glorified 
Lord, Jesus Christ, you 
will not discriminate 
between persons. 
{I}2_{/}Suppose a person 
enters the synagogue 
where you are assembled, 
dressed magnificently and 
wearing a gold ring; at 
the same time, a poor 
person enters dressed in 
rags. {I}3_{/}If you 
focus your attention on 
the well-dressed and say, 
"Come and sit in the best 
seat," while to the poor 
one you say, "Stay 
standing or else sit down 
at my feet," {I}4_{/}have 
you not, in fact, made a 
distinction between the 
two? Have you not judged, 
using a double standard?
{I}5_{/}Listen, my 
beloved brothers and 
sisters, did God not 
choose the poor of this 
world to receive the 
riches of faith and to 
inherit the kingdom which 
he has promised to those 
who love him? {I}6_{/}Yet 
you despise them! Is it 
not the rich who are 
against you and drag you 
to court? {I}7_{/}Do they 
not insult the holy name 
of Christ by which you 
are called?
{I}8_{/}If you keep the 
Law of the Kingdom, 
according to Scripture: 
Love your neighbor as 
yourself, you do well; 
{I}9_{/}but if you make 
distinctions between 
persons, you break the 
law and are condemned by 
the same law. 
{I}10_{/}For whoever 
keeps the whole law but 
fails in one aspect, is 
guilty of breaking it 
all. {I}11_{/}For he who 
said, Do not commit 
adultery, also said, Do 
not kill. If, then, you 
do not commit adultery 
but you do commit murder, 
you have broken the Law. 
{I}12_{/}Therefore, speak 
and behave like people 
who are going to be 
judged by the law of 
freedom. {I}13_{/}There 
will be justice without 
mercy for those who have 
not shown mercy, whereas 
mercy has nothing to fear 
of judgment.
FAITH IS SHOWN IN 
ACTION{/}

{I}14_{/}What good is it, 
my brothers and sisters, 
to profess faith without 
showing works? Such faith 
has no power to save you. 
{I}15_{/}If a brother or 
sister is in need of 
clothes or food 
{I}16_{/}and one of you 
says, "May things go well 
for you; be warm and 
satisfied," without 
attending to their 
material needs, what good 
is that? {I}17_{/}So it 
is for faith without 
deeds: it is totally 
dead.
{I}18_{/}Say to whoever 
challenges you, "You have 
faith and I have good 
deeds; show me your faith 
apart from actions and I, 
for my part, will show 
you my faith in the way I 
act." {I}19_{/}Do you 
believe there is one God? 
Well enough, but do not 
forget that the demons 
also believe and tremble 
with fear!
{I}20_{/}You foolish one, 
do you have to be 
convinced that faith 
without deeds is useless? 
{I}21_{/}Think of our 
father Abraham. Was he 
not justified by the act 
of offering his son Isaac 
on the altar? {I}22_{/}So 
you see, his faith was 
active along with his 
deeds and became perfect 
by what he did. {I}23{/} 
The word of Scripture was 
thus fulfilled, Abraham 
believed in God so he was 
considered a righteous 
person and he was called 
the friend of God.
{I}24_{/}So you see, a 
person is acknowledged by 
works and not by faith 
alone. {I}25_{/}Likewise, 
we read of Rahab, the 
prostitute, that she was 
acknowledged and saved 
because she welcomed the 
spies and showed them 
another way to leave.
{I}26_{/}So, just as the 
body is dead without its 
spirit, so faith without 
deeds is also dead.
SINS OF THE TONGUE{/}

{1}3{/}

{I}1_{/}My brothers and 
sisters,  don't all be 
teachers! You know that, 
as teachers, we will be 
judged most strictly; 
{I}2_{/}in fact, we make 
mistakes, like everybody 
else. A person who 
commits no offense in 
speech is perfect and 
capable of ruling the 
whole self. {I}3_{/}We 
put a bit into the 
horse's mouth to master 
it and, with this, we 
control its whole body. 
{I}4_{/}The same is true 
of ships: however big 
they are and driven by 
strong winds, they are 
guided by a tiny rudder. 
{I}5_{/}In the same way, 
the tongue is a tiny part 
of the body but it is 
capable of great things.
A small flame is enough 
to set a huge forest on 
fire. {I}6_{/}The tongue 
is a similar flame; it is 
in itself a whole world 
of evil. It infects the 
whole being and sets fire 
to our world with the 
very fire of hell. 
{I}7_{/}Wild animals, 
birds, reptiles and sea 
creatures of every kind 
are and have been ruled 
by the human species. 
{I}8_{/}Nobody, however, 
can control the tongue; 
it is an untiring whip, 
full of deadly poison. 
{I}9_{/}We use it to 
bless God, our Father, 
and also to curse those 
made in God's likeness. 
{I}10_{/}From the same 
mouth come both blessing 
and curse.
Brothers and sisters, 
this should not be the 
case. {I}11_{/}Can both 
fresh and salt water gush 
from the same source? 
{I}12_{/}Can a fig tree 
produce olives or a 
grapevine give figs? 
Neither is the sea able 
to give fresh water.
TRUE WISDOM{/}

{I}13_{/}If you consider 
yourself wise and 
learned, show it by your 
good life and let your 
actions, in all humility, 
be an example for others. 
{I}14_{/}But if your 
heart is full of bitter 
jealousy and ambition, do 
not try to show off; that 
would be covering up the 
truth; {I}15_{/}this kind 
of wisdom does not come 
from above but from the 
world and it is earthly 
and devilish. 
{I}16_{/}Wherever there 
is jealousy and ambition, 
you will also find 
discord and all that is 
evil. {I}17_{/}Instead, 
the wisdom which comes 
from above is pure and 
peace-loving. Persons 
with this wisdom show 
understanding and listen 
to advice; they are full 
of compassion and good 
works; they are impartial 
and sincere. 
{I}18_{/}Peacemakers who 
sow peace reap a harvest 
of justice.
WICKED AMBITIONS{/}

{1}4{/}

{I}1_{/}What causes these 
fights and quarrels among 
you? Is it not your inner 
longings which make war 
within your own selves? 
{I}2_{/}When you long for 
something you cannot 
have, you kill for it and 
when you do not get what 
you desire, you squabble 
and fight. The fact is, 
you do not have what you 
want because you do not 
pray for it. {I}3_{/}You 
pray for something and 
you do not get it because 
you pray with the wrong 
motive of indulging your 
pleasures. {I}4_{/}You 
adulterers! Don't you 
know that making friends 
with the world makes you 
enemies of God? 
Therefore, whoever 
chooses to be the world's 
friend becomes God's 
enemy.
{I}5_{/}Surely, Scripture 
is not wrong when it says 
that our spirit tends 
towards excess. 
{I}6_{/}But God has 
something better to give, 
and Scripture also says, 
God opposes the proud but 
he gives his favor to the 
humble. {I}7_{/}Give in, 
then, to God; resist the 
devil and he will flee 
from you. {I}8_{/}Draw 
close to God and he will 
come close to you. Clean 
your hands, you sinners, 
and purify your hearts, 
you doubters. 
{I}9_{/}Recognize your 
distress, be miserable 
and weep. Turn your 
laughter into tears and 
your joy into sadness. 
{I}10_{/}Humble 
yourselves before the 
Lord and he will raise 
you up.
{I}11_{/}Brothers and 
sisters, do not criticize 
one another. Anyone who 
speaks against or 
condemns another, speaks 
against the Law and 
condemns the Law. If, 
however, you condemn the 
Law, you are no longer an 
observer of the Law but a 
judge of it. 
{I}12_{/}There is only 
one lawgiver and one 
judge: he who has the 
power to save or condemn. 
So you, who are you to 
judge your neighbor?
{I}13_{/}Listen now, you 
who speak like this, 
"Today or tomorrow we 
will go off to this city 
and spend a year there; 
we will do business and 
make money." {I}14_{/}You 
have no idea what 
tomorrow will bring. What 
is your life? No more 
than a mist which appears 
for a moment and then 
disappears. 
{I}15_{/}Instead of this, 
you should say, "God 
willing, we will live and 
do this or 
that."{I}16_{/}But no! 
You boast of your plans: 
this brazen pride is 
wicked. {I}17_{/}Anyone 
who knows what is good 
and does not do it, sins.
THE MISFORTUNES OF THE 
RICH{/}

{1}5{/}

{I}1_{/}So, now for what 
concerns the rich! Cry 
and weep for the 
misfortunes which are 
coming upon you. 
{I}2_{/}Your riches are 
rotting and your clothes 
eaten up by the moths. 
{I}3_{/}Your silver and 
gold have rusted and 
their rust grows into a 
witness against you. It 
will consume your flesh 
like fire, for having 
piled up riches{I}_{/}in 
these the last days.
{I}4_{/}You deceived the 
workers who harvested 
your fields but now their 
wages cry out to the 
heavens. The reapers' 
complaints have reached 
the ears of the Lord of 
hosts. {I}5_{/}You lived 
in luxury and pleasure in 
this world and felt happy 
while others were 
murdered. {I}6_{/}You 
have easily condemned and 
killed the innocent since 
they offered no 
resistance.
LOOK FORWARD TO THE 
LORD'S COMING{/}

{I}7_{/}Be patient then, 
beloved, until the coming 
of the Lord. See how the 
sower waits for the 
precious fruits of the 
earth, looking forward 
patiently to the autumn 
and spring rains. 
{I}8_{/}You also be 
patient and do not lose 
heart, because the Lord's 
coming is near.
{I}9_{/}Beloved, do not 
fight among yourselves 
and you will not be 
judged. See, the judge is 
already at the door. 
{I}10_{/}Take for 
yourselves, as an example 
of patience, the 
suffering of the prophets 
who spoke in the Lord's 
name. {I}11_{/}See how 
those who were patient 
are called blessed. You 
have heard of the 
patience of Job and know 
how the Lord dealt with 
him in the end. For the 
Lord is merciful and 
shows compassion.
{I}12_{/}Above all, my 
beloved, do not swear 
either by heaven or by 
earth, or make a habit of 
swearing. Let your yes be 
yes and your no be no, 
lest you become liable 
for judgment.
THE SICK{/}

{I}13_{/}Are any among 
you discouraged? They 
should pray. Are any of 
you happy? They should 
sing songs to God. 
{I}14_{/}If anyone is 
sick, let him call on the 
elders of the Church. 
They shall pray for him, 
anointing him with oil in 
the name of the Lord. 
{I}15_{/}The prayer said 
in faith will save the 
sick person; the Lord 
will raise him up and if 
he has committed any 
sins, he will be 
forgiven.
{I}16_{/}There will be 
healing if you confess 
your sins to one another 
and pray for each other. 
The prayer of the upright 
man has great power, 
provided he perseveres. 
{I}17_{/}Elijah was a 
human being like 
ourselves and when he 
prayed earnestly for it 
not to rain, no rain fell 
for three and a half 
years. {I}18_{/}Then he 
prayed again: the sky 
yielded rain and the 
earth produced its fruit.
{I}19_{/}Brothers, if any 
one of you strays far 
away from the truth and 
another person brings him 
back to it, {I}20_{/}be 
sure of this: he who 
brings back a sinner from 
the wrong way will save 
his soul from death and 
win forgiveness for many 
sins.

