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.
James · Tyndale New Testament (1534)
James 1 Tyndale New Testament (1534)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- New Testament only; original spelling.
Cross references (27)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Ezekiel 12:15; 1 Peter 1:1; John 7:35; Acts 8:1; Acts 26:7
- 2 1 Peter 1:6–8; James 1:12; 2 Corinthians 12:9–10; Matthew 5:10–12; Luke 6:22–23
- 3 Romans 5:3–4; Hebrews 10:36; Colossians 1:11; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Romans 8:28
- 4 1 Peter 5:10; Luke 21:19; Matthew 5:48; 2 Timothy 3:17; Galatians 6:9
- 5 Proverbs 2:3–6; John 15:7; Jeremiah 29:12–13; Proverbs 3:5–7; 1 John 5:14–15
- 6 Matthew 21:21–22; Hebrews 11:6; Mark 11:22–24; Ephesians 4:14; Hebrews 10:23
- 7 James 4:3; Proverbs 15:8; Isaiah 1:15; Isaiah 58:3–4; Proverbs 21:27
- 8 1 Kings 18:21; Matthew 6:24; James 4:8; Isaiah 29:13; 2 Peter 2:14
- 9 Jeremiah 9:23–24; Proverbs 19:1; James 2:5–6; 2 Corinthians 6:10; Psalm 62:9
- 10 1 Peter 1:24; 1 John 2:17; Job 14:2; 1 Timothy 6:17; Matthew 5:3
- 11 Isaiah 40:7–8; Psalm 37:35–36; Luke 16:19–25; Mark 4:6; Psalm 49:6–14
- 12 1 Peter 5:10; 1 Peter 1:6–8; Revelation 2:10; James 5:11; Romans 8:28
- 13 James 1:12; Habakkuk 2:12–13; Romans 9:19–20; James 1:2; Genesis 3:12
- 14 Mark 7:21–22; Ephesians 4:22; Matthew 15:18; Hebrews 3:13; Proverbs 4:23
- 15 Psalm 7:14; Job 15:35; Romans 5:12–21; Genesis 2:17; Isaiah 59:4
- 16 James 1:19; Galatians 6:7; Colossians 2:8; Hebrews 13:1; Colossians 2:4
- 17 John 3:27; Matthew 7:11; Hebrews 13:8; John 8:12; Numbers 23:19
- 18 Romans 8:29–31; 1 Peter 1:23; John 3:3–5; John 1:13; 1 Peter 1:3
- 19 Proverbs 17:27; Proverbs 21:23; Proverbs 14:29; Proverbs 10:19; Proverbs 18:13
- 20 2 Timothy 2:24–25; Ephesians 4:26; James 3:17–18; Numbers 20:11–12
- 21 Ephesians 4:22; Ephesians 1:13; 1 Peter 2:11; John 6:63; Psalm 25:9
- 22 Romans 2:13; Luke 6:46–48; John 13:17; James 4:17; 1 John 2:3
- 23 Matthew 7:26–27; James 2:14–26; Ezekiel 33:31–32; Luke 6:47; Jeremiah 44:16
- 24 2 Peter 3:11; Luke 1:66; Luke 7:39; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; Matthew 8:27
- 25 Luke 11:28; John 13:17; 2 Corinthians 3:17–18; 1 Peter 2:16; Luke 6:47–49
- 26 Psalm 141:3; Ephesians 4:29; 1 Peter 3:10; Ephesians 5:4; Proverbs 19:1
- 27 Isaiah 1:16–17; 1 John 3:17–19; Galatians 6:9–10; Romans 12:2; Matthew 25:34–46
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
But I hungered and thirsted not even after those first works of Thine, but after Thee Thyself, the Truth, "with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning;" yet they still served up to me in those dishes glowing phantasies, than which better were it to love this very sun (which, at least, is true to our sight), than those …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
… not by passion, or union, not in ignorance, not by effluence, not by diminution, not by alteration, for every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow of turning.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
How, therefore, are demons driven off by them, diseases dispelled, sick persons made well, the blind restored to sight, lepers purified, temptations and troubles overcome, and how does every good gift from the Father of lights come down through them to those who pray with sure faith?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 9 (1899)
… light my candle; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness; and "of His fulness have all we received," for "that was the true Light which lighted every man that cometh into the world;" for in Thee there is "no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
For if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth, and he shall receive.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)