James 1
1 James, the seruaunt of God, and of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, to the twelue kinredis, that ben in scatering abrood, helthe.
JAMES, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are dispersed, greeting.
2 My britheren, deme ye al ioye, whanne ye fallen in to diuerse temptaciouns, witynge,
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into various trials;
3 that the preuyng of youre feith worchith pacience;
knowing that the proof of your faith produceth patience.
4 and pacience hath a perfit werk, that ye be perfit and hole, and faile in no thing.
But let patience have its work perfected, that ye may be perfect and complete, deficient in 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.
But if any man of you be deficient in wisdom, let him ask it of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not and it shall be given 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 ask in faith, harbouring no doubt: for he who is doubtful is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind, and in constant agitation.
7 Therfor gesse not the ilke man, that he schal take ony thing of the Lord.
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing from the Lord.
8 A man dowble in soule is vnstable in alle hise weies.
A double-minded man is unsteady in all his ways.
9 And a meke brother haue glorie in his enhaunsyng,
Let the brother low in station rejoice in his elevation:
10 and a riche man in his lownesse; for as the flour of gras he schal passe.
but the rich, in his abasement: for as the flower of grass he shall pass 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 the sun arose with fervour, and burnt up the grass, and the flower of it fell off, and the beauty of its appearance was lost: just so the rich man in his course of life shall wither away.
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 the man who patiently supports temptation: for when he is proved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to those who love 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 under temptation say, I am tempted of God: for God is incapable of temptation from evils, and he tempteth no man:
14 But ech man is temptid, drawun and stirid of his owne coueiting.
but every person is tempted, when by his own peculiar passion he is born away, and ensnared.
15 Aftirward coueityng, whanne it hath conseyued, bringith forth synne; but synne, whanne it is fillid, gendrith deth.
Then passion impregnated, bringeth forth sin, and sin reaching its consummation, bringeth forth death.
16 Therfor, my most dereworthe britheren, nyle ye erre.
Be not deceived, my beloved 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.
Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, descending from the father of illuminations, with whom there is no variableness, nor shadow of change.
18 For wilfulli he bigat vs bi the word of treuthe, that we be a bigynnyng of his creature.
Of his own choice he produced us by the word of truth, that we might be a sort of first fruit 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 beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
20 for the wraththe of man worchith not the riytwisnesse of God.
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness 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 laying aside all vicious pollution, and the abundance of iniquity, receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which hath power to save your souls.
22 But be ye doeris of the word, and not hereris oneli, disseiuynge you silf.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves by false reasoning.
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 man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man that looks at his natural face in a glass;
24 for he bihelde hym silf, and wente awei, and anoon he foryat which he was.
for he beheld himself, and went away, and immediately forgot what sort of person 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 he that looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and perseveres, this man not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, he shall be blessed in his practice.
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 thinks he is a religious character among you, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
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 undefiled with God even the Father is this, To pay diligent attention to the orphans and widows in their affliction, and to preserve himself spotless from the world.
