On the earth you have lived luxuriously and abandoned yourselves to soft living and led a life of wanton pleasure [self-indulgence, self-gratification]; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

A religious worship that is pure and stainless in the sight of God the Father is this: To look after orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep one's own self unstained by the world.

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].

But as it is, you boast [vainly] in your pretension and arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

if you should respectfully say to the suit of fine cloths, sit you there, that's for quality; and to the poor man, stand thou there, or place your self at my feet:

If, agreeably to the scriptures, you observe that royal law, "thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self," you do well.

If anyone considers himself to be religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, this person is self-deceived and his religion is worthless.

That kind of wisdom does not come from above. No, it is worldly, self-centered, and demonic.

The wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceful, courteous, not self-willed, full of compassion and kind actions, free from favouritism and from all insincerity.

For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.

out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter?

A fig tree, my brothers, cannot make olives, or a grapevine figs. In the same way, no one spring makes water salty and sweet.

Elijah was a man of the same nature as we. And by prayer, he asked for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.

For if a man with a gold ring, dressed in fine clothes, comes to your meeting, and at the same time a poor man clad in dirty clothes,

For He who said, "You must not commit adultery," also said, "You must not commit murder." Now if you do not commit adultery but you do commit murder, you are just the same a lawbreaker.

and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, find warmth and food for yourselves," but at the same time you do not give the necessaries of the body, what good would that do them?

In just the same way faith, if it have not deeds, is by itself a lifeless thing.

You have the belief that God is one, and you do well: the evil spirits have the same belief, shaking with fear.

And in the same way, was not the righteousness of Rahab, the loose woman, judged by her works, when she took into her house those who were sent and let them go out by another way?