only, let your endurance be a finished product, so that you may be finished and complete, with never a defect.

Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position [as a born-again believer, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God];

But anyone is tempted to do evil when he is allured by his own evil desire and enticed by a bait.

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty.

and one of you says to him, "Go [and be] at peace; keep warm and eat well," and yet you do not give him anything for his physical needs, what good is that?

In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works too, when she received the [Hebrew] spies as guests and protected them, and sent them away [to escape] by a different route?

Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly].

For in many things we all stumble. If any stumble not in word, this a perfect man, able to govern by a bridle also the whole body.

Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the steersman willeth.

Even so the tongue is a small part of the body, but it takes credit for great things. How much wood may be lighted by a very little fire!

Which of you is a wise and well-instructed man? Let him prove it by a right life with conduct guided by a wisely teachable spirit.

This "wisdom" is not the kind that comes from [God] above, but is earthly, unspiritual and demonic [i.e., it is motivated by an evil spirit and not the Holy Spirit].

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

men who know not of the morrow. For what is your life? For it will be a vapor that appears for a little while, and then also vanishes away--

Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

Be as calm in your waiting; let your hearts be strong: because the coming of the Lord is near.

But above all, my fellow believers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but let your yes be [a truthful] yes, and your no be [a truthful] no, so that you may not fall under judgment.

And the prayer of faith will rescue him who is depressed, and the Lord will rouse him. And if he should be a man who has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.