and a rich person in his having been humbled, because he will fade away like a wild flower.

By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.

Would ye not have been led to make distinctions among yourselves, and have become judges with wicked reasonings?

And one of you were to say to them--"Go, and peace be with you; find warmth and food for yourselves," and yet you were not to give them the necessaries of life, what good would it be to them?

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they should yield to us; and we lead their whole body.

For, every nature - both of wild beasts and of birds, both of reptiles and of things in the sea, is to be tamed, and hath been tamed, by the human nature;

Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

But the wisdom from above is first pure [morally and spiritually undefiled], then peace-loving [courteous, considerate], gentle, reasonable [and willing to listen], full of compassion and good fruits. It is unwavering, without [self-righteous] hypocrisy [and self-serving guile].

you would not obtain it, because you wickedly request to have your passions gratified.

Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God.

Or, do you think that the Scripture says [this] for nothing? [Note: No specific passage is here cited, but the idea occurs in several Old Testament passages]. "The Holy Spirit, whom God has made to live in us, longs jealously [for us to be faithful to God]."

Draw nigh to God, and He wild draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.

Afflict yourselves and mourn and weep aloud; let your laughter be turned into grief, and your gladness into shame.

But the right thing to say would be, If it is the Lord's pleasure and if we are still living, we will do this and that.

Come [quickly] now, you rich [who lack true faith and hoard and misuse your resources], weep and howl over the miseries [the woes, the judgments] that are coming upon you.

Why, the wages you have withheld from the laborers who have reaped your harvests cry aloud, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.

Brothers, take the [Old Testament] prophets, who spoke in the name [i.e., by the authority] of the Lord, as your examples of suffering and patience.

And if their prayer is [offered] by faith, [God] will heal the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up [from his sickbed]. And if he had sinned, he will be forgiven for them [Note: This may imply that the man's sickness was the result of some sin. In any event, his forgiveness would follow his repentance].

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land.