James · Chapter 1

[ edit] James, þe ſeruaunt of God, and of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt, to þe twelue kinredis, þat ben in ſcatering abrood, helþe. My briþeren, geſſe ȝe, or deme, al ioye, whan ȝe ſhulen falle in to diuerſe temptaciouns, or tribulaciouns, witynge, þat þe prouyng of ȝoure feiþ werchiþ pacience; ſoþeli pacience haþ parfijt werk, þat ȝe be parfijt and hool, in no þing faylinge. Forſoþe if ony of ȝou nediþ wiſdom, axe he of God, þe which ȝiueþ to alle men largeli, and vpbraydiþ not; and it ſhal be ȝouun to him. Soþeli axe he in feiþ, no þing doutynge; forſoþe he þat doutiþ, is lijk to a wawe of þe ſe, þe which of wijnd is moued and born aboute.

Þerfore geſſe not þe ilke man, þat he ſhal take ony þing of þe Lord. A man double of inwit is vnſtable in alle his weyes. Forſoþe a meke broþer glorye in his enhaunſinge, ſoþeli a riche man in his mekeneſſe; for as þe flour of hay, or graſſe, he ſhal paſſe. Soþeli þe ſunne is ſprungen vp wiþ brennynge, or heete, and driede þe hay, and þe flour of it fel doun, and þe fayrneſſe of his cheere periſchide; ſo and a riche man welewiþ in his weies. Bleſſid is þe man, þat ſuffriþ temptacioun; for whan he ſhal be proued, he ſhal receyue þe crown of lijf, þe which God aȝen bihiȝte to men louynge him.

No man whan he is temptid, ſeie, for he is temptid of God; ſoþeli God is vntempter of yuel þingis, forſoþe he temptiþ no man. Soþeli ech man is temptid of his coueitinge, drawun fro reſoun, and ſnaarid, or deceyued. Þanne coueityng, whan it haþ conſeyued, bringiþ forþ ſynne; ſoþeli ſynne, whan it is fulfillid, gendriþ deeþ. And ſo, my mooſt derworþe briþeren, nyle ȝe erre. Ech beſt þing ȝouun, and al parfijt ȝift is fro aboue, comynge doun of þe fadir of liȝtis, anentis whom is not ouerchaunginge, neþer ſhadewing of whileneſſ, or tyme. Forſoþe wilfully he gendride vs wiþ þe word of treuþe, þat we be ſum bigynnyng of þe creature of him.

Wite ȝe, my briþeren mooſt loued, be ech man ſwift for to here, forſoþe ſlowe for to ſpeke, and ſlowe to wraþþe; ſoþeli þe wraþ of man werchiþ not þe riȝtwiſneſſe of God. For which þing ȝe caſtinge awey al vnclenneſſe, and plente of malice, in myldeneſſe, or homelyneſſe, receyue ȝe þe word inſent, or ioyned, þat mai ſaue ȝoure ſoules. Forſoþe be ȝe doers of þe word, and not herers onely, deceyuynge ȝou ſilf. For if ony man is an herer of þe word, and not doer, þis ſhal be comparſound, or likned. to a man biholdinge þe cheere of his birþe in a myrour; ſoþeli he biheld him ſilf, and wente, and anoon he forȝat what maner he was.

Forſoþe he þat ſhal parfijtly biholde in þe lawe of parfijt fredom, and ſhal dwelle in it, not maad a forȝetful herer, but a doer of werk, þis ſhal be bleſſid in his dede. Forſoþe if ony man geſſiþ hym ſilf for to be religious, not refreynynge his tunge, but deceyuynge his herte, þe religioun of him is veyn. Þis is a clene religioun, and vnwemmyd anentis God and þe fadir, for to viſite pupilles, þat is, fadirles and modirles, or boþe, and widewes in her tribulacioun, and for to kepe him ſilf vndefoulid fro þis world.