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 comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass, and its flowers wither, and its beauty fades away; so will rich men fade away in their pursuits.

No one should think when he is tempted that his temptation comes from God, for God is incapable of being tempted by what is evil, and he does not tempt anyone.

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 boon is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, in whom there is no variation or changing shadow.

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 into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing;

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 comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, it is not right for these things to be so.

This is not the kind of wisdom that comes down from above; no, it is earthly, human, demoniacal.

But the wisdom which comes from on high is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, conciliatory, overflowing with mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without insincerity.

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

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Make your hands clean, you evil-doers; put away deceit from your hearts, you false in mind.

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:

Come now, ye rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you.

See, the money which you falsely kept back from the workers cutting the grass in your field, is crying out against you; and the cries of those who took in your grain have come to the ears of the Lord of armies.

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.