James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, sends greeting to the twelve tribes that are scattered over the world.

If anyone thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives himself, his religious observances are of no account.

have you not wavered and shown that your judgments are guided by base motives?

But you humiliate the poor. Are not the rich your oppressors? Is it not they who drag you into court?

If you really obey the supreme law where the Scripture says, "You must love your neighbor as you do yourself," you are doing right,

but if you show partiality, you are committing a sin, and stand convicted before the Law as lawbreakers.

For he who said, "You must not commit adultery," said also, "You must not commit murder." Now if you abstain from adultery, but commit murder, you are still a violator of the Law.

Even ships, great as they are, and driven by strong winds, are steered with a very small rudder wherever the pilot pleases.

What causes wars and fights among you? Is it not your cravings, which are at war within your bodies?

Do not talk against one another, brothers. Whoever talks against a brother or condemns his brother talks against the Law, and condemns the Law. But if you condemn the Law you are not an observer of the Law but its judge.

There is only one lawgiver and judge??e who has the power to save and to destroy; who are you, to judge your neighbor?

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to such and such a town, to stay a year and go into business and make money,"

when you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow! You are just a mist, which appears for a little while and then disappears.

Come now, you rich people! weep aloud and howl over the miseries that are going to overtake you!

Your wealth has rotted, your clothes are moth-eaten,

your gold and silver are rusted, and their rust will testify against you and eat into your very flesh, for you have stored up fire for the last days.