James (Jacob)

1 James, a servant of Elohim through The Lord, Messiah Yeshua, to the twelve tribes that are scattered abroad: Greetings! 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations, 3 knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask Elohim, who gives to all men liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of The Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, 10 but the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass, he shall pass away. 11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower thereof falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes: So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways! 12 But blessed is the man that endures temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which The Lord has promised to them that Love Him. 13 Let no one, when they are tempted, say: I am tempted of Elohim! YHVH cannot be tempted with evil, neither does Elohim tempt anyone. 14 But everyone is tempted when they are drawn away by their own lusts and enticed. 15 Then, when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. 16 Do not err my beloved brethren! 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of Enlightenment, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18 Of His own will, He beget us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures. 19 Therefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, 20 for the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of Elohim. 21 Therefore, lay apart all filthiness, and superfluity, and naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (Matt 7:17–20) 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; 24 for he beholds himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was. 25 But who so look's into the perfect law of liberty and continues therein; he, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If anyone among you seems to be religious, and bridles not his mouth, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vanity. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before YHVH the Father is this: To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Messiah Yeshua, The Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if there comes unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment, 3 and you have respect to him that wears the fine clothing, and say unto him: Sit here in a good place! But say to the poor: Stand there or sit here under my footstool! 4 Are you not then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Hearken my beloved brethren; has not Elohim chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, as heirs of the Kingdom which He has promised to them that Love Him? 6 But you have despised the poor! Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7 Do they not blaspheme that worthy Name by which you are called? 8 If you fulfill the Royal Law, according to the scripture: You shall Love your neighbor as yourself! In this you will do well. 9 But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, and are convinced of the Torah as transgressors. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For He that said: Do not commit adultery! Said also: Do not kill! Now, if you commit no adultery, yet if you kill, you have become a transgressor of Torah. 12 So you, speak and do, as they that shall be judged by the Law of Liberty. 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, he that has showed no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment. 14 What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he has faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says unto them: Depart in peace, be warmed and filled! Notwithstanding, you give them not, those things which are needful to the body, what does it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say: You have faith and I have works! Show me your faith without your works and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one Creator; you do well! The devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father, justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 See how faith was wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which says: Abraham believed Elohim, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness! (Gen 15:6) And he was called the friend of Elohim. 24 You see then how that by works, a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also, was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the soul is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we offend all. If anyone offends not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body. 4 Behold also the ships, which though they are so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet they are turned about with a very small helm, where ever the governor lists. 5 Even so, the mouth is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindles! 6 And the mouth is a fire, a world of iniquity; so is the mouth among our members, that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7 For every kind of beasts, and birds, and serpents, and all things in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But the mouth can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith we bless Elohim the Father; and therewith we curse men, which are made after the similitude of Adonai our Elohim. 10 Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be. 11 Does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? Either a vine, figs? So can no fountain yield both salt water and fresh. 13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual and devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

1 From whence come wars and fighting among you? Do they not come hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 You lust, and have not: You kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: You fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not. 3 You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts. 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with Elohim? Whoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of Elohim. 5 Do you think that the scripture says in vain: The Spirit that dwelt in us lusts to envy? 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: Elohim resists the proud but gives grace unto the humble! (Pro 3:34) 7 Submit yourselves therefore unto Adonai your Elohim. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh unto Elohim, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners, and purify your hearts you double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of The Lord, and He shall lift you up. 11 Speak not evil, one of another, brethren: He that speaks evil of his brother, and judge his brother, speaks evil of the Torah, and judge the Torah. But if you judge the Torah you are not a doer of the Torah, but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: Who are you that judges another? 13 Go now, you that say: Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, buy and sell and get gain! 14 Whereas, you know not, what shall be tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 For that you ought to say: If The Lord wills, we shall live, and do this or that! 16 But now you rejoice in your boasting; all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.

1 Go now, you rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth–eaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. You have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, cries, and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of The Lord of Sabbath. 5 You have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; you have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and killed the just; and he does not resist you. 7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of The Lord. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be patient and establish your hearts, for the coming of The Lord draws nigh. 9 Grudge not, one against another, brethren, lest you be condemned; behold, the Judge stands before the door. 10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of The Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of The Lord; that The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath; but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay, lest you fall into condemnation. 13 Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is any sick among you? Let them call for the elders of the Koinonia pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of The Lord, 15 and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and The Lord shall raise them up. Then the sins they have committed, they shall be forgiven. 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you all may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much! 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain in their region for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one converts him, 20 let him know that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
[Written to the Jewish Diaspora, by the half–brother of Messiah Yeshua, Saint James the Just.]