Part 1

Produced by Martin Ward

Weymouth New Testament in Modern Speech, James

Third Edition 1913

R. F. Weymouth

Book 59 James

001:001 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: to the twelve tribes who are scattered over the world. All good wishes.

001:002 Reckon it nothing but joy, my brethren, whenever you find yourselves hedged in by various trials.

001:003 Be assured that the testing of your faith leads to power of endurance.

001:004 Only let endurance have perfect results so that you may become perfect and complete, deficient in nothing.

001:005 And if any one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives with open hand to all men, and without upbraiding; and it will be given him.

001:006 But let him ask in faith and have no doubts; for he who has doubts is like the surge of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed into spray.

001:007 A person of that sort must not expect to receive anything from the Lord--

001:008 such a one is a man of two minds, undecided in every step he takes.

001:009 Let a brother in humble life rejoice when raised to a higher position;

001:010 but a rich man should rejoice in being brought low, for like flowers among the herbage rich men will pass away.

001:011 The sun rises with his scorching heat and dries up the herbage, so that its flowers drop off and the beauty of its appearance perishes, and in the same way rich men with all their prosperity will fade away.

001:012 Blessed is he who patiently endures trials; for when he has stood the test, he will gain the victor's crown--even the crown of Life-- which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

001:013 Let no one say when passing through trial, "My temptation is from God;" for God is incapable of being tempted to do evil, and He Himself tempts no one.

001:014 But when a man is tempted, it is his own passions that carry him away and serve as a bait.

001:015 Then the passion conceives, and becomes the parent of sin; and sin, when fully matured, gives birth to death.

001:016 Do not be deceived, my dearly-loved brethren.

001:017 Every gift which is good, and every perfect boon, is from above, and comes down from the Father, who is the source of all Light. In Him there is no variation nor the slightest suggestion of change.

001:018 In accordance with His will He made us His children through the Message of the truth, so that we might, in a sense, be the Firstfruits of the things which He has created.

001:019 You know this, my dearly-loved brethren. But let every one be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to be angry.

001:020 For a man's anger does not lead to action which God regards as righteous.

001:021 Ridding yourselves, therefore, of all that is vile and of the evil influences which prevail around you, welcome in a humble spirit the Message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls.

001:022 But prove yourselves obedient to the Message, and do not be mere hearers of it, imposing a delusion upon yourselves.

001:023 For if any one listens but does not obey, he is like a man who carefully looks at his own face in a mirror.