James 1
1 James, the seruaunt of God, and of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, to the twelue kinredis, that ben in scatering abrood, helthe.
Iames a seruant of God, and of the Lord Iesus Christ, to the twelue Tribes, which are scattered abroade, salutation.
2 My britheren, deme ye al ioye, whanne ye fallen in to diuerse temptaciouns, witynge,
My brethren, count it exceeding ioy, when ye fall into diuers tentations,
3 that the preuyng of youre feith worchith pacience;
Knowing that ye trying of your faith bringeth forth patience,
4 and pacience hath a perfit werk, that ye be perfit and hole, and faile in no thing.
And let patience haue her perfect worke, that ye may be perfect and entier, lacking nothing.
5 And if ony of you nedith wisdom, axe he of God, which yyueth to alle men largeli, and vpbreidith not; and it schal be youun to hym.
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.
6 But axe he in feith, and doute no thing; for he that doutith, is lijk to a wawe of the see, which is moued and borun a boute of wynde.
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.
7 Therfor gesse not the ilke man, that he schal take ony thing of the Lord.
Neither let that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord.
8 A man dowble in soule is vnstable in alle hise weies.
A double minded man is vnstable in all his waies.
9 And a meke brother haue glorie in his enhaunsyng,
Let the brother of lowe degree reioyce in that he is exalted:
10 and a riche man in his lownesse; for as the flour of gras he schal passe.
Againe hee that is rich, in that hee is made lowe: for as the flower of the grasse, shall he vanish away.
11 The sunne roos vp with heete, and driede the gras, and the flour of it felde doun, and the fairnesse of his chere perischide; and so a riche man welewith in hise weies.
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.
12 Blessid is the man, that suffrith temptacioun; for whanne he schal be preued, he schal resseyue the coroun of lijf, which God biheyte to men that louen hym.
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.
13 No man whanne he is temptid, seie, that he is temptid of God; for whi God is not a temptere of yuele thingis, for he temptith no man.
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.
14 But ech man is temptid, drawun and stirid of his owne coueiting.
But euery man is tempted, when hee is drawen away by his owne concupiscence, and is entised.
15 Aftirward coueityng, whanne it hath conseyued, bringith forth synne; but synne, whanne it is fillid, gendrith deth.
Then when lust hath conceiued, it bringeth foorth sinne, and sinne when it is finished, bringeth foorth death.
16 Therfor, my most dereworthe britheren, nyle ye erre.
Erre not, my deare brethren.
17 Ech good yifte, and ech perfit yifte is from aboue, and cometh doun fro the fadir of liytis, anentis whom is noon other chaungyng, ne ouerschadewyng of reward.
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.
18 For wilfulli he bigat vs bi the word of treuthe, that we be a bigynnyng of his creature.
Of his owne will begate hee vs with the woorde of trueth, that we shoulde be as the first fruites of his creatures.
19 Wite ye, my britheren moost loued, be ech man swift to here, but slow to speke, and slow to wraththe;
Wherefore my deare brethren, let euery man be swift to heare, slowe to speake, and slowe to wrath.
20 for the wraththe of man worchith not the riytwisnesse of God.
For the wrath of man doeth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God.
21 For which thing caste ye awei al vnclennesse, and plentee of malice, and in myldenesse resseyue ye the word that is plauntid, that may saue youre soulis.
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.
22 But be ye doeris of the word, and not hereris oneli, disseiuynge you silf.
And be ye doers of the word, and not hearers onely, deceiuing your owne selues.
23 For if ony man is an herere of the word, and not a doere, this schal be licned to a man that biholdith the cheer of his birthe in a mirour;
For if any heare the woorde, and doe it not, he is like vnto a man, that beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse.
24 for he bihelde hym silf, and wente awei, and anoon he foryat which he was.
For when he hath considered himselfe, hee goeth his way, and forgetteth immediately what maner of one he was.
25 But he that biholdith in the lawe of perfit fredom, and dwellith in it, and is not maad a foryetful herere, but a doere of werk, this schal be blessid in his dede.
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.
26 And if ony man gessith hym silf to be religiouse, and refreyneth not his tunge, but disseyueth his herte, the religioun of him is veyn.
If any man amog you seeme religious, and refraineth not his tongue, but deceiueth his owne heart, this mans religion is vaine.
27 A clene religioun, and an vnwemmed anentis God and the fadir, is this, to visite fadirles and modirles children, and widewis in her tribulacioun, and to kepe hym silf vndefoulid fro this world.
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.
