lest any one come short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby the many be defiled, lest there any fornicator, or profane per- 16 son as Esau, who for one meal gave away his birthright. For ye know that even afterward, desiring to inherit the 17 blessing he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it out with tears. For ye are not come near unto a palpable and burn- 18 ing fire, and blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and 19 sound of a trumpet, and voice of words; which voice they that heard refused to have a word spoken to them any more for they could not endure that which was com- 20 manded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned: and so fearful was the sight, Moses said, 21 I exceedingly fear and quake; but ye are come near unto 22 mount Sion and the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, a general assembly, and to the church of the firstborn who have been written 23 in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, mediator of a 24 new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, speaking a better thing than Abel. See that ye refuse not him that 25 speaks; for if they escaped not for refusing him that divinely instructs on earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that so instructs from heaven: whose voice then shook the earth; but now he has pro- 26 mised, saying, Yet once I will shake not the earth only but also the heaven. And this, Yet once, signifies the removing 27 of the things shaken as things made, that the things which are not shaken may abide. Wherefore let us receiving a 28 kingdom which cannot be shaken have thankfulness, whereby we may serve God acceptably with piety and fear for 29 our God is also a consuming fire. : CH. LET the brotherly love abide. Be not forgetful to enter- XIII. tain strangers; for thereby some entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as if bound 3 with them; them that are tormented, as being yourselves also in the body. Let marriage be held in honour in all 4 10 respects, and the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and 5 adulterers God will judge. Let the manner of life be without covetousness; be content with such things as ye have: for he himself has said, I will never leave thee nor 6 forsake thee, so that with good courage we say, The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what shall man do unto me ? 7 Remember them who were your leaders, who spake unto you the word of God: whose faith imitate, considering the 8 issue of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, 9 and to-day, and for ever. Be not carried away with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be confirmed with grace; not with meats, in which they who walk were not profited. We have an altar, whereof they have no authority to eat 11 who serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high 12 priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his 13 own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth there fore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach; 14 for here have we not an abiding city, but are seeking for 15 that which is to come. Through him therefore let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit 16 of lips confessing his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is 17 well pleased. Obey your leaders and submit: for they keep watch on behalf of your souls, as those who shall render account; that they may do it with joy and not with groaning for that is unprofitable for you. 18 Pray for us for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, in all respects desiring to conduct ourselves 19 well. But I exhort you the more abundantly to do this, in order that I may be restored to you sooner. 20 But the God of peace, that brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep, by virtue of the blood of 21 an everlasting covenant, our Lord Jesus, complete you in every good thing to do his will, doing in us that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. But I exhort you, brethren, suffer the word of exhor- 22 tation for I have written a letter unto you in few words. Know that our brother Timothy has been set at liberty; 23 with whom, if he come soon, I will see you. Salute all 24 your leaders, and all the saints. They from Italy salute you. Grace be with you all. 25 25 EPISTLE OF JAMES. JAMES, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, CH. I. to the twelve tribes which are in the dispersion, greeting. Think it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into divers 2 temptations; knowing that the proving of your faith works 3 patience. But let patience have a perfect work, that ye 4 may be perfect and whole, in nothing deficient. But if any 5 of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of God that gives to all simply and reproaches not, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting; 6 for he that doubts is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he 7 shall receive anything from the Lord, a double-minded 8 man, unstable in all his ways. Let the brother who is 9 humble glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humili- 10 ation because as a flower of grass he shall pass. : the sun arose with its heat, and withered the grass, and the flower thereof fell away, and the beauty of its face perished so also will the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is the man that endures temptation for when 12 he becomes approved, he will receive the crown of life, 13 which he promised to them that love him. Let no one say when tempted, I am tempted by God. For God cannot be tempted in respect of evils, and himself tempts 14 no one. But each is tempted when he is drawn away by 15 his own lust and enticed; then lust having conceived, brings forth sin; but sin when perfected begets death. 16, 17 Be not deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect present is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no variableness 18 neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruit of his creatures. 19 Ye know it, my beloved brethren; but let every man 20 be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For man's 21 wrath works not God's righteousness. Wherefore putting off all filthiness and superabundance of viciousness, receive in meekness the implanted word, which is able to save 22 your souls. And become doers of the word, and not hearers 23 only, beguiling your own selves. Because if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a 24 man considering his natural face in a mirror: for he considered himself, and is gone away, and straightway 25 forgot what manner of man he was. But he that looked into the perfect law of liberty and continued, he that became not a forgetful hearer but a doer of work, this man will 26 be blessed in his doing. If any one thinks that he is religious, and bridles not his tongue but deceives his 27 heart, this man's religion is vain. Religion pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit orphans and widows in their affliction, to keep himself unspotted from the world. CH. II. My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus 2 Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in bright clothing, and there come in also a poor man in filthy 3 clothing; and ye look upon him that wears the bright clothing and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool; did ye not then doubt in yourselves, and become judges 4 Hear, my beloved brethren. Did not God choose the 5 What is the profit, my brethren, if one say he has 14 |