New American Bible/The Letter of James

**The Letter of James**, as translated by the Co-Fraternity of Christian Doctrine in the New American Bible.

## INTRODUCTION

###  **THE CATHOLIC LETTERS**

In addition to the thirteen letters attributed to Paul and the Letter to the Hebrews, the New Testament contains seven other letters. Three of these are attributed to John, two to Peter, and one each to James and Jude, all personages of the apostolic age. The term “catholic letter” first appears, with reference only to 1 John, in the writings of Apollonius of Ephesus, a second-century apologist, known only from a citation in Eusebius’s Ecclesiastical History. Eusebius himself (A.D. 260–340) used the term to refer to all seven letters.

The reason for the term “catholic,” which means “universal,” was the perception that these letters, unlike those of Paul, which were directed to a particular local church, were apparently addressed more generally to the universal church. This designation is not entirely accurate, however. On the one hand, Hebrews has no specifically identified addressees, and originally this was probably true of Ephesians as well. On the other hand, 3 John is addressed to a named individual, 2 John to a specific, though unnamed, community, and 1 Peter to a number of churches that are specified as being located in Asia Minor.

While all seven of these writings begin with an epistolary formula, several of them do not appear to be real letters in the modern sense of the term. In the ancient world it was not unusual to cast an exhortation in the form of a letter for literary effect, a phenomenon comparable to the “open letter” that is sometimes used today.

With the exception of 1 Peter and 1 John, the ancient church showed reluctance to include the catholic letters in the New Testament canon. The reason for this was widespread doubt whether they had actually been written by the apostolic figures to whom they are attributed. The early Christians saw the New Testament as the depository of apostolic faith; therefore, they wished to include only the testimony of apostles. Today we distinguish more clearly between the authorship of a work and its canonicity: even though written by other, later witnesses than those whose names they bear, these writings nevertheless testify to the apostolic faith and constitute canonical scripture. By the late fourth or early fifth centuries, most objections had been overcome in both the Greek and Latin churches (though not in the Syriac), and all seven of the catholic letters have since been acknowledged as canonical.

###  **THE LETTER OF JAMES**

The person to whom this letter is ascribed can scarcely be one of the two members of the Twelve who bore the name James (see Mt 10:2–3; Mk 3:17–18; Lk 6:14–15), for he is not identified as an apostle but only as “slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Jas 1:1). This designation most probably refers to the third New Testament personage named James, a relative of Jesus who is usually called “brother of the Lord” (see Mt 13:55; Mk 6:3). He was the leader of the Jewish Christian community in Jerusalem whom Paul acknowledged as one of the “pillars” (Gal 2:9). In Acts he appears as the authorized spokesman for the Jewish Christian position in the early Church (Acts 12:17; 15:13–21). According to the Jewish historian Josephus (Antiquities 20:201–203), he was stoned to death by the Jews under the high priest Ananus II in A.D. 62.

The letter is addressed to “the twelve tribes in the dispersion.” In Old Testament terminology the term “twelve tribes” designates the people of Israel; the “dispersion” or “diaspora” refers to the non-Palestinian Jews who had settled throughout the Greco-Roman world (see Jn 7:35). Since in Christian thought the church is the new Israel, the address probably designates the Jewish Christian churches located in Palestine, Syria, and elsewhere. Or perhaps the letter is meant more generally for all Christian communities, and the “dispersion” has the symbolic meaning of exile from our true home, as it has in the address of 1 Peter (1 Pt 1:1). The letter is so markedly Jewish in character that some scholars have regarded it as a Jewish document subsequently “baptized” by a few Christian insertions, but such an origin is scarcely tenable in view of the numerous contacts discernible between the Letter of James and other New Testament literature.

From the viewpoint of its literary form, James is a letter only in the most conventional sense; it has none of the characteristic features of a real letter except the address. It belongs rather to the genre of parenesis or exhortation and is concerned almost exclusively with ethical conduct. It therefore falls within the tradition of Jewish wisdom literature, such as can be found in the Old Testament (Proverbs, Sirach) and in the extracanonical Jewish literature (Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, the Books of Enoch, the Manual of Discipline found at Qumran). More specifically, it consists of sequences of didactic proverbs, comparable to Tb 4:5–19, to many passages in Sirach, and to sequences of sayings in the synoptic gospels. Numerous passages in James treat of subjects that also appear in the synoptic sayings of Jesus, especially in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, but the correspondences are too general to establish any literary dependence. James represents a type of early Christianity that emphasized sound teaching and responsible moral behavior. Ethical norms are derived not primarily from christology, as in Paul, but from a concept of salvation that involves conversion, baptism, forgiveness of sin, and expectation of judgment (Jas 1:17; 4:12).

Paradoxically, this very Jewish work is written in an excellent Greek style, which ranks among the best in the New Testament and appears to be the work of a trained Hellenistic writer. Those who continue to regard James of Jerusalem as its author are therefore obliged to suppose that a secretary must have put the letter into its present literary form. This assumption is not implausible in the light of ancient practice. Some regard the letter as one of the earliest writings in the New Testament and feel that its content accurately reflects what we would expect of the leader of Jewish Christianity. Moreover, they argue that the type of Jewish Christianity reflected in the letter cannot be situated historically after the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

Others, however, believe it more likely that James is a pseudonymous work of a later period. In addition to its Greek style, they observe further that (a) the prestige that the writer is assumed to enjoy points to the later legendary reputation of James; (b) the discussion of the importance of good works seems to presuppose a debate subsequent to that in Paul’s own day; (c) the author does not rely upon prescriptions of the Mosaic law, as we would expect from the historical James; (d) the letter contains no allusions to James’s own history and to his relationship with Jesus or to the early Christian community of Jerusalem. For these reasons, many recent interpreters assign James to the period A.D. 90–100.

###  **The Divisions of The Letter of James**

The principal divisions of the Letter of James are the following:

**I. Address (1:1)**

**II. The Value of Trials and Temptation (1:2–18)**

**III. Exhortations and Warnings (1:19–5:12)**

**IV. The Power of Prayer (5:13–20)**

## CHAPTER 1

**1**

James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings.

### Perseverance in Trial.

**2**

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,

**3** for you know that the testing

of your faith produces perseverance. **4** And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. **5** But if any of you lacks wisdom,

he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it.

**6** But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind.

**7** For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, **8** since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.

**9** The brother in lowly circumstances

should take pride in his high standing,

**10** and the rich one in his lowliness, for he will pass away “like the flower of the field.”

**11** For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass, its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes. So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

### Temptation.

**12**

Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation,

for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him. **13**

No one experiencing temptation should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one.

**14** Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. **15** Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.

**16**

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers: **17** all good giving and every perfect gift

is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. **18**

He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

### Doers of the Word.

**19** Know this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to hear,

slow to speak, slow to wrath,

**20** for the wrath of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.

**21** Therefore, put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.

**22** Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.

**23** For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. **24** He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. **25** But the one who peers into the perfect law

of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does.

**26**

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue

but deceives his heart, his religion is vain.

**27** Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows

in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

## CHAPTER 2

### Sin of Partiality.

**1** My brothers, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. **2** For if a man with gold rings on his fingers and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, **3** and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here, please,” while you say to the poor one, “Stand there,” or “Sit at my feet,” **4** have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs?

**5** Listen, my beloved brothers. Did not God choose those who are poor

in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?

**6** But you dishonored the poor person. Are not the rich oppressing you? And do they themselves not haul you off to court? **7** Is it not they who blaspheme the noble name that was invoked over you?

**8** However, if you fulfill the royal

law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

**9** But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

**10** For whoever keeps the whole law, but falls short in one particular, has become guilty in respect to all of it.

**11** For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not kill.”

Even if you do not commit adultery but kill, you have become a transgressor of the law. **12**

So speak and so act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom.

**13** For the judgment is merciless to one who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

### Faith and Works.

**14** What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

**15** If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, **16** and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?

**17** So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

**18** Indeed someone may say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works. **19** You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. **20** Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless? **21** Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?

**22** You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works. **23** Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called “the friend of God.”

**24** See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. **25** And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route?

**26** For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

## CHAPTER 3

### Power of the Tongue.

**1** Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you realize that we will be judged more strictly, **2** for we all fall short in many respects. If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body also.

**3** If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide their whole bodies. **4** It is the same with ships: even though they are so large and driven by fierce winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination wishes. **5** In the same way the tongue is a small member and yet has great pretensions.

Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze. **6** The tongue is also a fire. It exists among our members as a world of malice, defiling the whole body and setting the entire course of our lives on fire, itself set on fire by Gehenna. **7** For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, **8** but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

**9** With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God. **10** From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. This need not be so, my brothers. **11** Does a spring gush forth from the same opening both pure and brackish water? **12** Can a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a grapevine figs? Neither can salt water yield fresh.

### True Wisdom.

**13** Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show his works by a good life in the humility that comes from wisdom.

**14** But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. **15** Wisdom of this kind does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. **16** For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. **17** But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity.

**18** And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.

## CHAPTER 4

### Causes of Division.

**1** Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions

that make war within your members?

**2** You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not possess because you do not ask. **3** You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. **4** Adulterers!

Do you not know that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

**5** Or do you suppose that the scripture speaks without meaning when it says, “The spirit that he has made to dwell in us tends toward jealousy”?

**6** But he bestows a greater grace; therefore, it says:

“God resists the proud,

but gives grace to the humble.”

**7** So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

**8** Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds.

**9** Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. **10** Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.

**11** Do not speak evil of one another, brothers. Whoever speaks evil of a brother or judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law.

If you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. **12** There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save or to destroy. Who then are you to judge your neighbor?

### Warning Against Presumption.

**13** Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town, spend a year there doing business, and make a profit”— **14** you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow.

You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears.

**15** Instead you should say, “If the Lord wills it,

we shall live to do this or that.” **16** But now you are boasting in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. **17**

So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, it is a sin.

## CHAPTER 5

### Warning to the Rich.

**1** Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.

**2** Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,

**3** your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days.

**4** Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.

**5** You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.

**6** You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous one;

he offers you no resistance.

### Patience and Oaths.

**7** Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.

**8** You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand.

**9** Do not complain, brothers, about one another, that you may not be judged. Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates. **10** Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. **11** Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of the perseverance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, because “the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”

**12**

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath, but let your “Yes” mean “Yes” and your “No” mean “No,” that you may not incur condemnation.

### Anointing of the Sick.

**13** Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praise. **14** Is anyone among you sick?

He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord,
**15** and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.

### Confession and Intercession.

**16** Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful. **17** Elijah was a human being like us; yet he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain upon the land.

**18** Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.

### Conversion of Sinners.

**19**

My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back, **20**

he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

## FOOTNOTES

**James 1:1:**
**James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ:**

a declaration

of the writer’s authority

for instructing the Christian communities;

**cf.** **Romans 1:1.**

Regarding the identity of the author,

**see** **The Letter of James: Introduction.**
**Dispersion:**
**see** **The Letter of James: Introduction.**
**James 1:2:**
**Consider it all joy…various trials:**

a frequent teaching

of the New Testament

derived from the

words

and

sufferings

of Jesus

**(Matthew 5:10–Matthew 5:12;** **John 10:11;** **And** **Acts 5:41).**
**James 1:3-James 1:8:**

The sequence of testing,

perseverance,

and

being perfect and complete

indicates the manner

of attaining spiritual maturity

and full preparedness

for the coming of Christ

**(James 5:7–James 5:12;**
**cf.** **1 Peter 1:6–1 Peter 1:7;** **And** **Romans 5:3–Romans 5:5).**

These steps require wisdom

**(James 1:5).**
**James 1:5:**
**Wisdom:**

a gift

that God

readily grants to all

who ask in faith

and that sustains

the Christian

in times of trial.

It is a kind of knowledge

or

understanding

not accessible to the unbeliever

or those who doubt,

which gives the recipient

an understanding

of the real importance of events.

In this way

a Christian can deal with adversity

with great calm and hope

**(cf.** **1 Corinthians 2:6–1 Corinthians12).**
**James 1:9-James 1:11:**

Throughout his letter

**(see** **James 2:5;** **James 4:10,** **James 4:13–James 4:16;** **And** **James 5:1–James 5:6),**

the author reaffirms

the teaching of Jesus

that worldly prosperity

is not necessarily

a sign of God’s favor

but can even be a hindrance

to proper humility before God

**(cf.** **Luke 6:20–Luke 6:25;** **Luke 12:16–Luke 12:21;** **And** **Luke 16:19–Luke 16:31).**
**James 1:12:**
**Temptation:**

the Greek word used here

is the same one used for

“trials”

**in** **James 1:2.**
**The crown of life:**

in ancient Palestine,

crowns or wreaths of flowers

were worn at festive occasions

as signs of joy and honor.

In the Hellenistic world,

wreaths were given as a reward

to great statesmen,

soldiers,

athletes.

**Life:**

here means eternal life.

**He promised:**

some manuscripts read

“God”

or

“the Lord,”

while the best witnesses

do not specify the subject of

“promised.”
**James 1:13-James 1:15:**

It is contrary

to what we know of God

for God to be the author

of human temptation

**(James 1:13).**

In the commission of a sinful act,

one is first beguiled by passion

**(James 1:14),**

then consent is given,

which in turn causes the sinful act.

When sin permeates the entire person,

it incurs the

ultimate penalty of death

**(James 1:15).**
**James 1:16-James 1:18:**

The author here

stresses that

God

is the source of all good

and of good alone,

and the evil of temptation

does not come from him.
**James 1:17:**
**All good giving and every perfect gift**

may be a proverb

written in hexameter.

**Father of lights:**

God is here called

the Father

of the heavenly luminaries,

i.e.,

the stars,

sun,

and

moon

that he created

**(Genesis 1:14–Genesis 1:18).**

Unlike orbs moving

from nadir to zenith,

he never changes or diminishes

in brightness.
**James 1:18:**

Acceptance of the gospel message,

**the word of truth,**

constitutes new birth

(Jn 3:5–6)

and makes the recipient the

**firstfruits**

(i.e., the cultic offering

of the earliest grains,

symbolizing the beginning

of an abundant harvest)

of a new creation;

**cf.** **1 Corinthians 15:20;** **And** **Romans 8:23.**
**James 1:19-James 1:25:**
**To be quick to hear**

the gospel

is to accept it readily

and

to act in conformity with it,

removing from one’s soul

whatever is opposed to it,

so that it may take root

and effect salvation

**(James 1:19–James 1:21).**

To listen to the gospel message

but not practice it

is failure to improve oneself

**(James 1:22–James 1:24).**

Only conformity of life

to the perfect law of true freedom

brings happiness

**(James 1:25).**
**James 1:25:**
**Peers into the perfect law:**

the image of a person

doing this

is paralleled

to that of hearing

God’s word.

The

**perfect law**

applies the Old Testament

description

of the Mosaic law

to the gospel of Jesus Christ

that brings freedom.
**James 1:26-James 1:27:**

A practical application

of

**James 1:22**

is now made.
**James 1:26:**

For control of the tongue,

**see** **note** **on**
**James 3:1–James 3:12.**
**James 1:27:**

In the Old Testament,

orphans

and

widows

are classical examples

of the

defenseless

and

oppressed.
**James 2:1-James 2:13:**

In the Christian community

there must be

no

discrimination

or

favoritism

based on status or wealth

**(James 2:2–James 2:4;**
**cf.** **Matthew 5:3; Matthew 11:5;** **Matthew 23:6;** **And** **1 Corinthians 1:27–1 Corinthians 1:29).**

Divine favor

rather consists

in God’s election and promises

**(James 2:5).**

The rich who oppress the poor

blaspheme the name of Christ

**(James 2:6–James 2:7).**

By violating one law of love of neighbor,

they offend against the whole law

**(James 2:8–James 2:11).**

On the other hand,

conscious awareness

of the final judgment

helps the faithful

to fulfill the whole law

**(James 2:12).**
**James 2:4:**

When Christians

show favoritism

to the rich

they are guilty of

the worst kind of prejudice and discrimination.

The author says

that such Christians

set themselves up as judges

who judge not by divine law

but by the basest,

self-serving motives.
**James 2:5:**

The poor,

“God’s poor”

of the Old Testament,

were seen by Jesus

as particularly open to

God

for belief in and reliance on him alone

**(Luke 6:20).**

God’s law

cannot tolerate

their oppression

in any way

**(James 2:9).**
**James 2:8:**
**Royal:**

literally,

“kingly”;

because the Mosaic law

came from God,

the universal king.

There may be an allusion

to Jesus’ uses of

this commandment

in his preaching

of the kingdom of God

**(Matthew 22:39;** **Mark 12:31;** **And** **Luke 10:27).**
**James 2:12-James 2:13:**

The law

upon which the last judgment

will be based

is the law of freedom.

As Jesus taught,

mercy

(which participates

in God’s own loving mercy)

includes forgiveness

of those who wrong us

**(see** **Matthew 6:12,** **And** **Matthew 6:14–Matthew 6:15).**
**James 2:14-James 2:26:**

The theme of these verses

is the relationship of

faith

and

works

(deeds).

It has been argued

that the teaching here

contradicts that of Paul

**(see** **especially** **Romans 4:5–Romans 4:6).**

The problem can only be understood

if the different viewpoints

of the two authors are seen.

Paul argues against those

who claim to participate in God’s salvation

because of their good deeds

as well as

because they have committed themselves

to trust in God through Jesus Christ

(Paul’s concept of faith).

Paul certainly understands,

however,

the implications of true faith

for a life of love and generosity

**(see** **Galatians 5:6,** **And** **Galatians 5:13–Galatians 5:15).**

The author of James

is well aware that proper conduct

can only come about

with an authentic commitment to God in faith

**(James 2:18,** **And** **James 2:26).**

Many think he was seeking

to correct a misunderstanding

of Paul’s view.
**James 3:1-James 3:12:**

The use and abuse

of the important role

of teaching in the church

**(James 3:1)**

are here related

to the good and bad use

of the tongue

**(James 3:9–James 3:12),**

the instrument through which

teaching was chiefly conveyed

**(see** **Ben Sira 5:11–Ben Sira 6:1;** **And** **Ben Sira 28:12–Ben Sira 28:26).**
**James 3:13-James 3:18:**

This discussion of true wisdom

is related to the previous reflection

on the role of the teacher

as one who is in control of his speech.

The qualities of the wise man

endowed from above are detailed

**(James 3:17–James 3:18;**
**cf.** **Galatians 5:22–Galatians 5:23),**

in contrast to

the qualities of earthbound wisdom

**(James 3:14–James 3:16;**
**cf.** **2 Corinthians 12:20).**
**James 4:1-James 4:12:**

The concern here

is with the origin of conflicts

in the Christian community.

These are occasioned by

**love of the world,**

which

**means enmity with God**
**(James 4:4).**

Further,

the conflicts

are bound up with failure

to pray properly

**(cf.** **Matthew 7:7–Matthew 7:11;** **John 14:13;** **John 15:7;** **And** **John 16:23),**

that is,

not asking God at all

or using God’s kindness

only for one’s pleasure

**(James 4:2–James 4:3).**

In contrast,

the proper dispositions

are

submission to God,

repentance,

humility,

and

resistance

to evil

**(James 4:7–James 4:10).**
**James 4:1-James 4:3:**
**Passions:**

the Greek word here

(literally,

“pleasures”)

does not indicate

that pleasure is evil.

Rather,

as the text points out

**(James 4:2–James 4:3),**

it is the manner

in which one deals with

needs

and

desires

that determines

good or bad.

The motivation

for any action

can be wrong,

especially

if one does not pray properly

but seeks only selfish enjoyment

**(James 4:3).**
**James 4:4:**
**Adulterers:**

a common biblical image

for the covenant

between God and his people

is the marriage bond.

In this image,

breaking the covenant with God

is likened

to the unfaithfulness of adultery.
**James 4:5:**

The meaning of this saying

is difficult

because the author of James cites,

probably from memory,

a passage that is not

in any extant manuscript of the Bible.

Other translations of the text

with a completely different meaning

are possible:

“The Spirit

that he

(God)

made

to dwell in us yearns

(for us)

jealously,”

or,

“He

(God)

yearns jealously

for the spirit

that he has made

to dwell in us.”

If this last translation is correct,

the author perhaps had in mind

an apocryphal religious text

that echoes the idea

that God is zealous

for his creatures;

**cf.** **Exodus 20:5;** **Deuteronomy 4:24;** **And** **Zechariah 8:2.**
**James 4:6:**

The point of this whole argument

is that God wants the happiness of all,

but that

selfishness

and

pride

can make that impossible.

We must work with him

in humility

**(James 4:10).**
**James 4:11:**

Slander of a fellow Christian

does not break just one commandment

but makes mockery

of

the authority of law

in general

and therefore of God.
**James 4:13-James 4:17:**

The uncertainty of life

**(James 4:14),**

its complete

dependence on God,

and the necessity

of submitting

to God’s will

**(James 4:15)**

all help one know

and

do what is right

**(James 4:17).**

To disregard this

is to live in

pride

and

arrogance

**(James 4:16);**

failure

to do what is right

is a sin

**(James 4:17).**
**James 4:14:**

Some

important

Greek manuscripts

here have,

“You who have no idea

what tomorrow will bring.

Why, what is your life?”
**James 4:15:**
**If the Lord wills it:**

often in piety

referred to as the

“conditio Jacobaea,”

the condition James says

we should employ

to qualify all our plans.
**James 4:17:**
**It is a sin:**

those who

live arrogantly,

forgetting

the contingency

of life

and

our dependence

on God

**(James 4:13–James 4:16),**

are guilty of sin.
**James 5:1-James 5:6:**

Continuing

with the theme

of the transitory character

of life on earth,

the author points out

the impending ruin

of the godless.

He denounces the unjust rich,

whose victims cry to heaven

for judgment on

their exploiters

**(James 5:4–James 5:6).**

The

decay

and

corrosion

of the costly

garments

and

metals,

which symbolize wealth,

prove them worthless

and

portend the destruction

of their possessors

**(James 5:2–James 5:3).**
**James 5:6:**

The author

does not have in mind

any specific crime

in his readers’ communities

but rather

echoes the

Old Testament theme

of the harsh oppression

of the righteous poor

**(see** **Proverbs 1:11;** **Wisdom 2:10,** **Wisdom 2:12,** **And** **Wisdom 2:20).**
**James 5:7-James 5:11:**

Those oppressed

by the unjust rich

are reminded

of the need for patience,

both

in bearing

the sufferings

of human life

**(James 5:9)**

and

in their expectation

of the coming of the Lord.

It is then

that they

will receive

their reward

**(James 5:7–James 5:8,** **And** **James 5:10–James 5:11;**
**cf.** **Hebrews 10:25;** **And** **1 John 2:18).**
**James 5:7:**
**The early and the late rains:**

an expression related

to the

agricultural season

in ancient Palestine

**(see** **Deuteronomy 11:14;** **Jeremiah 5:24;** **And** **Joel 2:23).**
**James 5:12:**

This is the threat

of condemnation

for the abuse

of swearing oaths

**(cf.** **Matthew 5:33–Matthew 5:37).**
**By heaven or by earth:**

these words

were substitutes

for the original form

of an oath,

to circumvent

its binding force

and

to avoid pronouncing

the holy name of God

**(see** **Exodus 22:10).**
**James 5:14:**

In case of sickness

a Christian should ask

for the presbyters

of the church,

i.e.,

those who have authority

in the church

**(cf.** **Acts 15:2,** **Acts 15:22–Acts 15:23;** **1 Timothy 5:17;** **And** **Titus 1:5).**

They are to pray

over the person

and anoint with oil;

oil was used

for medicinal purposes

in the ancient world

**(see** **Isaiah 1:6;** **And** **Luke 10:34).**

In

**Mark 6:13,**

the Twelve

anoint the sick with oil

on their missionary journey.

**In the name of the Lord:**

by the power

of Jesus Christ.
**James 5:15:**

The results

of the

prayer

and

anointing

are

physical health

and

forgiveness

of sins.

The Roman Catholic Church

(Council of Trent,

Session 14)

declared that

this anointing of the sick

is a sacrament

“instituted

by Christ

and

promulgated

by blessed James the apostle.”
**James 5:20:**

When a Christian

is instrumental

in the conversion

of a sinner,

the result is

forgiveness of sins

and

a reinstatement

of the sinner

to the life of grace.

## CROSS-REFERENCES

**James 1:1:**
**John 7:35,** **And** **1 Peter 1:1.**
**John 7:35.** **NABRE:**
**35** So the Jews said to one another, “Where is he going that we will not find him? Surely he is not going to the dispersion among the Greeks to teach the Greeks, is he?

**1 Peter 1:1.** **NABRE:**
**I. Address**
**Chapter 1**
**Greeting.**
**1** Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen sojourners of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
**James 1:2:**
**Romans 5:3-Romans 5:5,** **1 Peter 1:6,** **And** **1 Peter 4:13-1 Peter 4:16.**
**Romans 5:3-Romans 5:5.** **NABRE:**
**3** Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, **4** and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, **5** and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.

**1 Peter 1:6.** **NABRE:**
**6** In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials,

**1 Peter 4:13-1 Peter 4:16.** **NABRE:**
**13** But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly. **14** If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. **15** But let no one among you be made to suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as an intriguer. **16** But whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed but glorify God because of the name.
**James 1:6:**
**Proverbs 2:2-Proverbs 2:6,** **Wisdom 9:4,** **And** **Wisdom 9:9-Wisdom 9:12.**
**Proverbs 2:2-Proverbs 2:6.** **NABRE:**
**2** Turning your ear to wisdom,

inclining your heart to understanding;

**3** Yes, if you call for intelligence,

and to understanding raise your voice;

**4** If you seek her like silver,

and like hidden treasures search her out,

**5** Then will you understand the fear of the Lord;

the knowledge of God you will find;

**6** For the Lord gives wisdom,

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

**Wisdom 9:4.** **NABRE:**
**4** Give me Wisdom, the consort at your throne,

and do not reject me from among your children;

**Wisdom 9:9-Wisdom 9:12.** **NABRE:**
**9** Now with you is Wisdom, who knows your works

and was present when you made the world;

Who understands what is pleasing in your eyes

and what is conformable with your commands.

**10** Send her forth from your holy heavens

and from your glorious throne dispatch her

That she may be with me and work with me,

that I may know what is pleasing to you.

**11** For she knows and understands all things,

and will guide me prudently in my affairs

and safeguard me by her glory;

**12** Thus my deeds will be acceptable,

and I will judge your people justly

and be worthy of my father’s throne.
**James 1:6:**
**Matthew 7:7,** **And** **Mark 11:24.**
**Matthew 7:7.** **NABRE:**
**The Answer to Prayers.**
**7** “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

**Mark 11:24.** **NABRE:**
**24** Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.
**James 1:9:**
**James 2:5.**
**James 2:5.** **NABRE:**
**5** Listen, my beloved brothers. Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?
**James 1:10:**
**Isaiah 40:6-Isaiah 40:7.**
**Isaiah 40:6-Isaiah 40:7.** **NABRE:**
**6** A voice says, “Proclaim!”

I answer, “What shall I proclaim?”

“All flesh is grass,

and all their loyalty like the flower of the field.

**7** The grass withers, the flower wilts,

when the breath of the Lord blows upon it.”

“Yes, the people is grass!
**James 1:12:**
**1 Corinthians 9:25,** **2 Timothy 4:8,** **1 Peter 5:4,** **And** **Revelation 2:10.**
**1 Corinthians 9:25.** **NABRE:**
**25** Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.

**2 Timothy 4:8.** *NABRE:*
**8** From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.

**1 Peter 5:4.** **NABRE:**
**4** And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

**Advice to the Community.**
**Revelation 2:10.** **NABRE:**
**10** Do not be afraid of anything that you are going to suffer. Indeed, the devil will throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
**James 1:13:**
**Ben Sira 15:11-Ben Sira 15:20,** **And** **1 Corinthians 10:13.**
**Ben Sira 15:11-Ben Sira 15:20.** **NABRE:**
**Free Will**
**11** Do not say: “It was God’s doing that I fell away,”

for what he hates he does not do.

**12** Do not say: “He himself has led me astray,”

for he has no need of the wicked.

**13** Abominable wickedness the Lord hates

and he does not let it happen to those who fear him.

**14** God in the beginning created human beings

and made them subject to their own free choice.

**15** If you choose, you can keep the commandments;

loyalty is doing the will of God.

**16** Set before you are fire and water;

to whatever you choose, stretch out your hand.

**17** Before everyone are life and death,

whichever they choose will be given them.

**18** Immense is the wisdom of the Lord;

mighty in power, he sees all things.

**19** The eyes of God behold his works,

and he understands every human deed.

**20** He never commands anyone to sin,

nor shows leniency toward deceivers.

**1 Corinthians 10:13.** **NABRE:**
**13** No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.

**Warning Against Idolatry.**
**James 1:18:**
**John 1:12-John 1:13,** **And** **1 Peter 1:23.**
**John 1:12-John 1:13.** **NABRE:**
**12** But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.

**1 Peter 1:23.** **NABRE:**
**23** You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God,
**James 1:19:**
**Proverbs 14:17,** **And** **Ben Sira 5:11.**
**Proverbs 14:17.** **NABRE:**
**17** The quick-tempered make fools of themselves,

and schemers are hated.

**Ben Sira 5:11.** **NABRE:**
**11** Be swift to hear,

but slow to answer.
**James 1:20:**
**Ephesians 4:26.**
**Ephesians 4:26.** **NABRE:**
**26** Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger,
**James 1:21:**
**Colossians 3:8.**
**Colossians 3:8.** **NABRE:**
**8** But now you must put them all away: anger, fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out of your mouths.
**James 1:22:**
**Matthew 7:26.** **NABRE:**
**26** And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.

**Romans 2:13.** **NABRE:**
**13** For it is not those who hear the law who are just in the sight of God; rather, those who observe the law will be justified.
**James 1:25:**
**James 2:12,** **Psalms 19:8,** **And** **Romans 8:2.**
**James 2:12.** **NABRE:**
**12** So speak and so act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom.

**Psalms 19:8.** **NABRE:**
**II**
**8** The law of the Lord is perfect,

refreshing the soul.

The decree of the Lord is trustworthy,

giving wisdom to the simple.

**Romans 8:2.** **NABRE:**
**2** For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death.
**James 1:26:**
**James 3:2,** **And** **Psalms 34:14.**
**James 3:2.** **NABRE:**
**2** for we all fall short in many respects. If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body also.

**Psalms 34:14.** **NABRE:**
**14** Keep your tongue from evil,

your lips from speaking lies.
**James 1:27:**
**Exodus 22:21.**
**Exodus 22:21.** **NABRE:**
**21** You shall not wrong any widow or orphan.
**James 2:5:**
**1 Corinthians 1:26-1 Corinthians 1:28,** **And** **Revelation 2:9.**
**1 Corinthians 1:26-1 Corinthians 1:28.** **NABRE:**
**26** Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. **27** Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, **28** and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something,

**Revelation 2:9.** **NABRE:**
**9** “I know your tribulation and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who claim to be Jews and are not, but rather are members of the assembly of Satan.
**James 2:7:**
**1 Peter 4:4.**
**1 Peter 4:4.** **NABRE:**
**4** They are surprised that you do not plunge into the same swamp of profligacy, and they vilify you;
**James 2:8:**
**Leviticus 19:18,** **Matthew 22:39,** **And** **Romans 13:9.**
**Leviticus 19:18.** **NABRE:**
**18** Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your own people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the **LORD**.

**Matthew 22:39.** **NABRE:**
**39** The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

**Romans 13:9.** **NABRE:**
**9** The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, [namely] “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
**James 2:9:**
**Deuteronomy 1:17.**
**Deuteronomy 1:17.** **NABRE:**
**17** In rendering judgment, do not consider who a person is; give ear to the lowly and to the great alike, fearing no one, for the judgment is God’s. Any case that is too difficult for you bring to me and I will hear it.”
**James 2:10:**
**Galatians 3:10.**
**Galatians 3:10.** **NABRE:**
**10** For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law.”
**James 1:11:**
**Exodus 20:13-Exodus 20:14,** **And** **Deuteronomy 5:17-Deuteronomy 5:18.**
**Exodus 20:13-Exodus 20:14.** **NABRE:**
**13** You shall not kill.

**14** You shall not commit adultery.

**Deuteronomy 5:17-Deuteronomy 5:18.** **NABRE:**
**17** You shall not kill.

**18** You shall not commit adultery.
**James 2:12:**
**James 1:25,** **And** **Romans 8:2.**
**James 1:25.** **NABRE:**
**25** But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does.

**Romans 8:2.** **NABRE:**
**2** For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death.
**James 2:13:**
**Matthew 5:7,** **Matthew 6:14-Matthew 6:15,** **And** **Matthew 18:32-Matthew 18:33.**
**Matthew 5:7.** **NABRE:**
**7** Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

**Matthew 6:14-Matthew 16:15.** **NABRE:**
**14** If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. **15** But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions..

**Matthew 18:32-Matthew 18:33.** **NABRE:**
**32** His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. **33** Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’
**James 2:14:**
**Matthew 25:31-Matthew 25:46,** **And** **Galatians 5:6.**
**Matthew 25:31-Matthew 25:46.** **NABRE:**
**The Judgment of the Nations.**
**31** “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, **32** and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. **33** He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. **34** Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. **35** For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, **36** naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ **37** Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? **38** When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? **39** When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ **40** And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ **41** Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. **42** For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, **43** a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ **44** Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ **45** He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ **46** And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

**Galatians 5:6.** **NABRE:**
**6** For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

**Be Not Misled.**
**James 2:16:**
**1 John 3:17.**
**1 John 3:17.** **NABRE:**
**17** If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him?
**James 2:21:**
**Genesis 22:9-Genesis 22:12,** **And** **Hebrews 11:17.**
**Genesis 22:9-Genesis 22:12.** **NABRE:**
**9** When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. Next he bound his son Isaac, and put him on top of the wood on the altar. **10** Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. **11** But the angel of the **LORD** called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. **12** “Do not lay your hand on the boy,” said the angel. “Do not do the least thing to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you did not withhold from me your son, your only one.”

**Hebrews 11:17.** **NABRE:**
**17** By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son,
**James 2:23:**
**Genesis 15:6,** **Romans 4:3,** **Galatians 3:6,** **2 Chronicles 20:7,** **And** **Isaiah 41:8.**
**Genesis 15:6.** **NABRE:**
**6** Abram put his faith in the **LORD**, who attributed it to him as an act of righteousness.

**Romans 4:3.** **NABRE:**
**3** For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

**Galatians 3:6.** **NABRE:**
**6** Thus Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

**2 Chronicles 20:7.** **NABRE:**
**7** Was it not you, our God, who dispossessed the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and gave it forever to the descendants of Abraham, your friend?

**Isaiah 41:8.** **NABRE:**
**8** But you, Israel, my servant,

Jacob, whom I have chosen,

offspring of Abraham my friend—
**James 2:25:**
**Joshua 2:1-Joshua 2:21.**
**Joshua 2:1-Joshua 2:21.** **NABRE:**
**Chapter 2**
**Spies Saved by Rahab.**
**1** Then Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent out two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, reconnoiter the land and Jericho.” When the two reached Jericho, they went into the house of a prostitute named Rahab, where they lodged. **2** But a report was brought to the king of Jericho: “Some men came here last night, Israelites, to spy out the land.” **3** So the king of Jericho sent Rahab the order, “Bring out the men who have come to you and entered your house, for they have come to spy out the entire land.” **4** The woman had taken the two men and hidden them, so she said, “True, the men you speak of came to me, but I did not know where they came from. **5** At dark, when it was time to close the gate, they left, and I do not know where they went. You will have to pursue them quickly to overtake them.” **6** Now, she had led them to the roof, and hidden them among her stalks of flax spread out there. **7** But the pursuers set out along the way to the fords of the Jordan. As soon as they had left to pursue them, the gate was shut.

**8** Before the spies lay down, Rahab went up to them on the roof **9** and said: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that a dread of you has come upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land tremble with fear because of you. **10** For we have heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan, whom you destroyed under the ban. **11** We heard, and our hearts melted within us; everyone is utterly dispirited because of you, since the Lord, your God, is God in heaven above and on earth below. **12** Now then, swear to me by the Lord that, since I am showing kindness to you, you in turn will show kindness to my family. Give me a reliable sign **13** that you will allow my father and mother, brothers and sisters, and my whole family to live, and that you will deliver us from death.” **14** “We pledge our lives for yours,” they answered her. “If you do not betray our mission, we will be faithful in showing kindness to you when the Lord gives us the land.”

**15** Then she let them down through the window with a rope; for she lived in a house built into the city wall. **16** “Go up into the hill country,” she said, “that your pursuers may not come upon you. Hide there for three days, until they return; then you may go on your way.” **17** They answered her, “We are free of this oath that you made us take, unless, **18** when we come into the land, you tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you are letting us down. Gather your father and mother, your brothers, and all your family into your house. **19** Should any of them pass outside the doors of your house, their blood will be on their own heads, and we will be guiltless. But if anyone in your house is harmed, their blood will be on our heads. **20** If, however, you betray our mission, we will be free of the oath you have made us take.” **21** “Let it be as you say,” she replied, and sent them away. When they were gone, she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
**James 3:2:**
**James 1:26,** **Proverbs 13:3,** **And** **Ben Sira 28:12-Ben Sira 28:26.**
**James 1:26.** **NABRE:**
**26** If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain.

**Proverbs 13:3.** **NABRE:**
**3** Those who guard their mouths preserve themselves;

those who open wide their lips bring ruin.

**Ben Sira 28:12-Ben Sira 28:26.** **NABRE:**
**The Evil Tongue**
**12** If you blow on a spark, it turns into flame,

if you spit on it, it dies out;

yet both you do with your mouth!

**13** Cursed be gossips and the double-tongued,

for they destroy the peace of many.

**14** A meddlesome tongue subverts many,

and makes them refugees among peoples.

It destroys strong cities,

and overthrows the houses of the great.

**15** A meddlesome tongue drives virtuous women from their homes,

and robs them of the fruit of their toil.

**16** Whoever heed it will find no rest,

nor will they dwell in peace.

**17** A blow from a whip raises a welt,

but a blow from the tongue will break bones.

**18** Many have fallen by the edge of the sword,

but not as many as by the tongue.

**19** Happy the one who is sheltered from it,

and has not endured its wrath;

Who has not borne its yoke

nor been bound with its chains.

**20** For its yoke is a yoke of iron,

and its chains are chains of bronze;

**21** The death it inflicts is an evil death,

even Sheol is preferable to it.

**22** It will have no power over the godly,

nor will they be burned in its flame.

**23** But those who forsake the Lord will fall victim to it,

as it burns among them unquenchably;

It will hurl itself against them like a lion,

and like a leopard, it will tear them to pieces.

**24** As you fence in your property with thorns,

so make a door and a bolt for your mouth.

**25** As you lock up your silver and gold,

so make balances and scales for your words.

**26** Take care not to slip by your tongue

and fall victim to one lying in ambush.
**James 1:8:**
**Psalms 140:4.**
**Psalms 140:4.** **NABRE:**
**4** Who sharpen their tongue like a serpent,

venom of asps upon their lips.

*Selah*
**James 3:12:**
**Matthew 7:16-Matthew 7:17.**
**Matthew 7:16-Matthew 7:17.** **NABRE:**
**16** By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? **17** Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
**James 3:13:**
**Ephesians 4:1-Ephesians 4:2.**
**Ephesians 4:1-Ephesians 4:2.** **NABRE:**
**Chapter 4**
**Unity in the Body.**
**1** I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, **2** with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love,
**James 3:17:**
**James 1:17,** **And** **Wisdom 7:22-Wisdom 7:23.**
**James 1:17.** **NABRE:**
**17** all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.

**Wisdom 7:22-Wisdom 7:23.** **NABRE:**
**22** for Wisdom, the artisan of all, taught me.

**Nature and Incomparable Dignity of Wisdom**

For in her is a spirit

intelligent, holy, unique,

Manifold, subtle, agile,

clear, unstained, certain,

Never harmful, loving the good, keen,

**23** unhampered, beneficent, kindly,

Firm, secure, tranquil,

all-powerful, all-seeing,

And pervading all spirits,

though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.
**James 3:18:**
**Matthew 5:9.**
**Matthew 5:9.** **NABRE:**
**9** Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.
**James 4:1:**
**Romans 7:23,** **And** **1 Peter 2:11.**
**Romans 7:23.** **NABRE:**
**23** but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

**1 Peter 2:11.** **NABRE:**
**III. THE CHRISTIAN IN A HOSTILE WORLD**
**Christian Examples.**
**11** Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul.
**James 4:4:**
**Matthew 6:24,** **Luke 16:13,** **Romans 8:7,** **And** **1 John 2:15-1 John 2:16.**
**Matthew 6:24.** **NABRE:**
**God and Money.**
**24** “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

**Dependence on God.**
**Luke 16:13.** **NABRE:**
**13** No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

**Romans 8:7.** **NABRE:**
**7** For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God; it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it;

**1 John 2:15-1 John 2:16.** **NABRE:**
**15** Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. **16** For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world.
**James 4:6:**
**Job 22:29,** **Proverbs 3:34,** **Matthew 23:12,** **And** **1 Peter 5:5.**
**Job 22:29.** **NABRE:**
**29** For when they are brought low, you will say, “It is pride!”

But downcast eyes he saves.

**Proverbs 3:34.** **NABRE:**
**34** Those who scoff, he scoffs at,

but the lowly he favors.

**Matthew 23:12.** **NABRE:**
**12** Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

**1 Peter 5:5.** **NABRE:**
**5** Likewise, you younger members, be subject to the presbyters. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for:

“God opposes the proud

but bestows favor on the humble.”
**James 4:7:**
**1 Peter 5:8-1 Peter 5:9.**
**1 Peter 5:8-1 Peter 5:9.** **NABRE:**
**8** Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour. **9** Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.
**James 4:8:**
**Zechariah 1:3,** **And** **Malachi 3:7.**
**Zechariah 1:3.** **NABRE:**
**3** Say to them: Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return to me—oracle of the Lord of hosts—and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.

**Malachi 3:7.** **NABRE:**
**7** Since the days of your ancestors you have turned aside

from my statutes and have not kept them.

Return to me, that I may return to you,

says the Lord of hosts.

But you say, “Why should we return?”
**James 4:10:**
**Job 5:11,** **Matthew 23:12,** **Luke 14:11,** **Luke 18:14,** **And** **1 Peter 5:6.**
**Job 5:11.** **NABRE:**
**11** He sets up the lowly on high,

and those who mourn are raised to safety.

**Matthew 23:12.** **NABRE:**
**12** Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

**Luke 14:11.** **NABRE:**
**11** For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

**Luke 18:14.** **NABRE:**
**14** I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

**1 Peter 5:6.** **NABRE:**
**6** So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
**James 4:12:**
**Matthew 7:1,** **Romans 2:1,** **And** **Romans 14:4.**
**Matthew 7:1.** **NABRE:**
**CHAPTER 7**
**Judging Others.**
**1** “Stop judging, that you may not be judged.

**Romans 2:1.** **NABRE:**
**CHAPTER 2**
**God’s Just Judgment.**
**1** Therefore, you are without excuse, every one of you who passes judgment. For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things.

**Romans 14:4.** **NABRE:**
**4** Who are you to pass judgment on someone else’s servant? Before his own master he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
**James 4:14:**
**Proverbs 27:1,** **And** **Psalms 39:6-Psalms 39:7.**
**Proverbs 27:1.** **NABRE:**
**CHAPTER 27**
**1** Do not boast about tomorrow,

for you do not know what any day may bring forth.

**Psalms 39:6-Psalms 39:7.** **NABRE:**
**6** To be sure, you establish the expanse of my days;

indeed, my life is as nothing before you.

Every man is but a breath.

*Selah*
**III**
**7** Man goes about as a mere phantom;

they hurry about, although in vain;

he heaps up stores without knowing for whom.
**James 4:17:**
**Luke 12:47.**
**Luke 12:47.** **NABRE:**
**47** That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely;
**James 5:1:**
**Luke 6:24.**
**Luke 6:24.** **NABRE:**
**24** But woe to you who are rich,

for you have received your consolation.
**James 5:2:**
**Matthew 6:19.**
**Matthew 6:19.** **NABRE:**
**Treasure in Heaven.**
**19** “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
**James 5:3:**
**Psalms 21:10,** **Proverbs 11:4,** **And** **Judith 16:17.**
**Psalms 21:10.** **NABRE:**
**10** At the time of your coming

you will make them a fiery furnace.

Then the Lord in his anger will consume them,

devour them with fire.

**Proverbs 11:4.** **NABRE:**
**4** Wealth is useless on a day of wrath,

but justice saves from death.

**Judith 16:17.** **NABRE:**
**17** “Woe to the nations that rise against my people!

the Lord Almighty will requite them;

in the day of judgment he will punish them:

He will send fire and worms into their flesh,

and they will weep and suffer forever.”
**James 5:4:**
**Leviticus 19:13,** **Deuteronomy 24:14-Deuteronomy 24:15,** **And** **Malachi 3:5.**
**Leviticus 19:13.** **NABRE:**
**13** You shall not exploit your neighbor. You shall not commit robbery. You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your laborer.

**Deuteronomy 24:14-Deuteronomy 24:15.** **NABRE:**
**14** You shall not exploit a poor and needy hired servant, whether one of your own kindred or one of the resident aliens who live in your land, within your gates. **15** On each day you shall pay the servant’s wages before the sun goes down, since the servant is poor and is counting on them. Otherwise the servant will cry to the Lord against you, and you will be held guilty.

**Malachi 3:5.** **NABRE:**
**5** I will draw near to you for judgment,

and I will be swift to bear witness

Against sorcerers, adulterers, and perjurers,

those who deprive a laborer of wages,

Oppress a widow or an orphan,

or turn aside a resident alien,

without fearing me, says the Lord of hosts.
**James 5:5:**
**Jeremiah 12:3,** **And** **Luke 16:19-Luke 16:25.**
**Jeremiah 12:3.** **NABRE:**
**3** Lord, you know me, you see me,

you have found that my heart is with you.

Pick them out like sheep for the butcher,

set them apart for the day of slaughter.

**Luke 16:19-Luke 16:25.** **NABRE:**
**The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.**
**19** “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. **20** And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, **21** who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. **22** When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, **23** and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. **24** And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ **25** Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
**James 5:6:**
**Wisdom 2:10-Wisdom 2:20.**
**Wisdom 2:10-Wisdom 2:20.** **NABRE:**
**10** Let us oppress the righteous poor;

let us neither spare the widow

nor revere the aged for hair grown white with time.

**11** But let our strength be our norm of righteousness;

for weakness proves itself useless.

**12** Let us lie in wait for the righteous one, because he is annoying to us;

he opposes our actions,

Reproaches us for transgressions of the law

and charges us with violations of our training.

**13** He professes to have knowledge of God

and styles himself a child of the Lord.

**14** To us he is the censure of our thoughts;

merely to see him is a hardship for us,

**15** Because his life is not like that of others,

and different are his ways.

**16** He judges us debased;

he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.

He calls blest the destiny of the righteous

and boasts that God is his Father.

**17** Let us see whether his words be true;

let us find out what will happen to him in the end.

**18** For if the righteous one is the son of God, God will help him

and deliver him from the hand of his foes.

**19** With violence and torture let us put him to the test

that we may have proof of his gentleness

and try his patience.

**20** Let us condemn him to a shameful death;

for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”
**James 5:8:**
**Luke 21:19,** **Hebrews 10:36,** **Hebrews 10:25,** **And** **1 Peter 4:7.**
**Luke 21:19.** **NABRE:**
**19** By your perseverance you will secure your lives.

The Great Tribulation.

**Hebrews 10:36.** **NABRE:**
**36** You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.

**Hebrews 10:25.** **NABRE:**
**25** We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another, and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.

**1 Peter 4:7.** **NABRE:**
**7** The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and sober for prayers.
**James 5:11:**
**Exodus 34:6,** **And** **Psalms 103:8.**
**Exodus 34:6.** **NABRE:**
**6** So the **LORD** passed before him and proclaimed: The **LORD**, the **LORD**, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity,

**Psalms 103:8.** **NABRE:**
**8** Merciful and gracious is the **LORD**,

slow to anger, abounding in mercy.
**James 5:12:**
**Matthew 5:34-Matthew 5:37.**
**Matthew 5:34-Matthew 5:37.** **NABRE:**
**34** But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; **35** nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. **36** Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. **37** Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.
**James 5:14:**
**Mark 6:13.**
**Mark 6:13.** **NABRE:**
**13** They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

**Herod’s Opinion of Jesus.**
**James 5:17:**
**1 Kings 17:1,** **And** **Luke 4:25.**
**1 Kings 17:1.** **NABRE:**
**IV. THE STORY OF ELIJAH**
**CHAPTER 17**
**Elijah Proclaims a Drought.**
**1** Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab: “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word.”

**Luke 4:25.** **NABRE:**
**25** Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
**James 5:19:**
**Matthew 18:15,** **And** **Galatians 6:1.**
**Matthew 18:15.** **NABRE:**
**15** “If your brother sins [against you], go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.

**Galatians 6:1.** **NABRE:**
**CHAPTER 6**
**Life in the Community of Christ.**
**1** Brothers, even if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct that one in a gentle spirit, looking to yourself, so that you also may not be tempted.
**James 5:20:**
**Proverbs 10:12,** **And** **1 Peter 4:8.**
**Proverbs 10:12.** **NABRE:**
**12** Hatred stirs up disputes,

but love covers all offenses.

**1 Peter 4:8.** **NABRE:**
**8** Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins.

## OTHER BOOKS OF THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE TRANSLATION

 **THE BOOKS OF THE CATHOLIC BIBLE IN THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE TRANSLATION**

### Old Testament

#### Pentateuch/Torah:

1. The Book of Genesis
2. The Book of Exodus
3. The Book of Exodus
4. The Book of Exodus
5. The Book of Exodus

#### Historical Books:

1. The Book of Joshua
2. The Book of Judges
3. The Book of Ruth
4. The First Book of Samuel
5. The Second Book of Samuel
6. The First Book of Kings
7. The Second Book of Kings
8. The First Book of Chronicles
9. The Second Book of Chronicles
10. The Book of Ezra
11. The Book of Nehemiah
12. The Book of Tobit
13. The Book of Judith
14. The Book of Esther
15. The First Book of Maccabees
16. The Second Book of Maccabees

#### Poetic Books:

1. The Book of Job
2. The Book of Psalms
3. The Book of Proverbs
4. The Book of Ecclesiastes
5. The Song of Songs
6. The Book of Wisdom
7. The Book of Sirach

#### Prophetic Books:

1. The Book of Isaiah
2. The Book of Jeremiah
3. The Book of Lamentations
4. The Book of Baruch
5. The Book of Ezekiel
6. The Book of Daniel
7. The Book of Hosea
8. The Book of Joel
9. The Book of Amos
10. The Book of Obadiah
11. The Book of Jonah
12. The Book of Micah
13. The Book of Nahum
14. The Book of Habakkuk
15. The Book of Zephaniah
16. The Book of Haggai
17. The Book of Zechariah
18. The Book of Malachi

### New Testament

#### The Four Gospels

1. The Gospel According to Matthew
2. The Gospel According to Mark
3. The Gospel According to Luke
4. The Gospel According to John

#### Pauline Letters

1. The Letter to The Romans
2. The First Letter to The Corinthians
3. The Second Letter to The Corinthians
4. The Letter to The Galatians
5. The Letter to The Ephesians
6. The Letter to The Philippians
7. The Letter to The Colossians
8. The First Letter to The Thessalonians
9. The Second Letter to The Thessalonians
10. The First Letter to Timothy
11. The Second Letter to Timothy
12. The Letter to Titus
13. The Letter to Philemon

#### The General Letters/Catholic Letters

1. **The Letter of James**
2. The First Letter of Peter
3. The Second Letter of Peter
4. The First Letter of John
5. The Second Letter of John
6. The Third Letter of John
7. The Letter of Jude