28 not shaken may abide. Wherefore receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.*

XIII. Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to en2 tertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels

3

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unawares.

Remember those in bonds, as bound with them; those in distress, as being yourselves also in the body.

Let marriage be honored in all respects, and the bed be undefiled; but whoremongers and adulterers God will 5 judge. Let your disposition be without covetousness, and be content with what ye have; for he hath said, “I will 6 never leave thee, nor forsake thee;"† so that we boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear; what 7 shall man do to me?" Remember your leaders, who spoke to you the word of God; and considering well the end of their manner of life, imitate their faith.

8

Jesus Christ is yesterday and to-day the same, and for 9 ever. Be not carried aside with various and strange teachings; for it is good that the heart be established with grace, not with meats, in which those who walked were not profited.

10

We have an altar, of which they cannot eat who 11 serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts

whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high12 priest are burned without the camp. § Wherefore Jesus

also, that he might sanctify the people by his own blood, 13 suffered without the gate. Let us then go forth to him 14 without the camp, bearing his reproach; for here we have

in all respects, &c. Or, among all.

Chap. XIII. 4. Ver. 9. in which; i.e. in the observance of rules respecting meats. * Deut. iv. 24. † See Deut. xxxi. 6, 8; Josh. i 5. Ps. cxviii. 6. § See Lev. xvi. 27.

no abiding city, but are seeking that which is to come. 15 Through him therefore let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips giving thanks 16 to his name. But works of kindness and liberality forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

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Obey your leaders, and submit yourselves to them; for they keep watch in behalf of your souls, as those who must give an account; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief; for this is not for your advantage.

Pray for us; for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring in all things to conduct ourselves well; 19 but I the more earnestly entreat you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

20

Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood 21 of an everlasting covenant, even our Lord Jesus, make you perfect in every good work, to do his will, doing in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory for ever. Amen.

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But I beseech you, brethren, bear with the word of my exhortation; for I have written to you in few words. Know that the brother Timothy hath been set at liberty, with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you. 24 Salute all your leaders, and all the saints. Those from 25 Italy salute you. Grace be with you all. Amen.

THE GENERAL EPISTLES.

THE EPISTLE OF JAMES.

2

I. JAMES, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into various 3 temptations; knowing that the trying of your faith work4 eth endurance. But let endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting in nothing.

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5

But if any one of you is wanting in wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth 6 not; and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting; for he that doubteth is like a wave 7 of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the 8 Lord, a double-minded man as he is, unstable in all his

ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree glory in that he is 10 exalted; but the rich, in that he is made low; because 11 as the flower of the grass he will pass away. For the

sun rose with its burning heat, and withered the grass, and its flower fell off, and the beauty of its appearance

Chap. I. 3.

endurance. Comp. Matt. xxiv. 13.

perished; so also will the rich man fade away in his ways. 12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is approved, he will receive the crown of life, which He promised to them that love him.

13

Let no one when he is tempted, say, I am tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he 14 tempteth no one. But each one is tempted when by his 15 own lust he is led away and enticed; then lust, having conceived, bringeth forth sin, and sin, when completed, bringeth forth death.

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17

Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no change, nor shadow 18 from turning. Of his own will he begot us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.

19

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be 20 swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21 Wherefore put off all filthiness, and excess of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, de23 ceiving yourselves. For if any one is a hearer of the

word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his 24 natural face in a glass; for he beholds himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what manner of man he 25 was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty,

and remains there, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in his deed. 26 If any one thinks that he is religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion

Ver. 25. - remains there; i.e. looking into it, instead of going away

like the other.

27 is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God, the Father, is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep one's self unspotted from the world.

II. My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord of glory, 2 Jesus Christ, with respect of persons. For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring, in splendid apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment, 3 and ye have respect to him that weareth the splendid apparel, and say, Sit thou here in a good place, and say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or, Sit under my foot4 stool, have ye not been partial among yourselves, and 5 become judges with evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren. Did not God choose the poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he prom6 ised to them that love him? but ye have despised the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and do not they drag 7 you before the judgment-seats? Do not they blaspheme 8 the worthy name by which ye are called? If indeed ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, "Thou 9 shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,"* ye do well. But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are con10 victed by the law as transgressors. For whoever hath

kept the whole law, and yet hath offended in one point, 11 hath become guilty of all. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," said also, "Do not kill."† Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou hast become 12 a transgressor of the law. So speak, and so do, as they 13 that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For the judg

14

ment shall be without mercy to him that showed no mercy. Mercy glorieth against judgment.

What doth it profit, my brethren, if any one say that he hath faith, and have not works? Can his faith save