Greet it as pure joy, my brothers, when you come across any sort of trial,

but you must let your endurance come to its perfect product, so that you may be fully developed and perfectly equipped, without any defects.

But the man of wealth, that he is made low; because like the flower of the grass he will come to his end.

For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; its flower falls off and its beauty fades away; so too will the rich man, in the midst of his pursuits, fade away.

Let no one who is tried by temptation say, 'My temptation comes from God'; God is incapable of being tempted by evil and he tempts no one.

Then when its time comes, desire gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is of full growth, gives birth to death.

Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation nor shadow of turning.

It was God's purpose to bring us into being [spiritually] by the message of truth, so that we could become a kind of "firstfruits" of those He created. [Note: "Firstfruits" here suggests either that Christians are the best of all of God's creatures (Num. 18:12), or that they were the first to be converted, with many more to come].

For the righteousness of God does not come about by the wrath of man.

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring,

For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

And you do honour to the man in fair clothing and say, Come here and take this good place; and you say to the poor man, Take up your position there, or be seated at my feet;

For whoever shall keep the whole law and shall offend in one point, he has come under the guilt of breaking all.

By this we bless God, even the Father. And by this we curse men, who have come into being according to the image of God.

out of the same mouth doth come forth blessing and cursing; it doth not need, my brethren, these things so to happen;

This is not the wisdom which comes down from above, but earthly, natural, devilish.

However, the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, willing to yield, full of compassion and good deeds, and without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people].

Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain:

Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

Look! The wages that you have [fraudulently] withheld from the laborers who have mowed your fields are crying out [against you for vengeance]; and the cries of the harvesters have come to the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

Here on earth you have lived self-indulgent and profligate lives. You have stupefied yourselves with gross feeding; but a day of slaughter has come.

Go on waiting calmly, my brothers, till the coming of the Lord, like the farmer waiting for the good fruit of the earth till the early and late rains have come.

Do not cry out in condemnation of one another, brethren, lest you come under judgement. I tell you that the Judge is standing at the door.

But above all things, my brethren, do not swear, either by Heaven or by the earth, or with any other oath. Let your 'yes' be simply 'yes,' and your 'no' be simply 'no;' that you may not come under condemnation.