James · Chapter 4

[ edit] Wherof bateyles and cheeſtes, or chidinges, a mong ȝou? Wher not of ȝoure coueytiſis, þat fiȝten in ȝoure membris? Ȝe coueyten, and ȝe han not; ȝe ſleen, and ȝe han enuye, and ȝe mowen not gete. Ȝe chijden, and maken bateyl; and ȝe han not, for which þing ȝe han not axid. Ȝe axen, and ȝe receyuen not; for þat ȝe axen yuel, as in ȝoure coueytiſe ȝe ſhewen. Auowtreres, witen not ȝe, for þe frendſchip of þis world is enemy to God? Þerfore who euer ſhal wole for to be freend of þis world, is ordeyned þe enemye of God. Wher weene ȝe, þat veynly þe ſcripture ſeiþ, Þe ſpirit þat dwelliþ in ȝou, coueytiþ to enuye?

Forſoþe he ȝiueþ more grace; for which þing he ſeiþ, God wiþſtondiþ proude men, forſoþe to meke men he ȝiueþ grace. Þerfore be ȝe ſuget to God; forſoþe wiþſtonde ȝe þe deuel, and he ſhal flee fro ȝou. Neiȝe ȝe to God, and he ſhal neiȝe to ȝou. Ȝe ſynners, clenſe þe hondes, and ȝe double of inwit, or wille, purge ȝe hertes. Be ȝe wrecches, in ȝoure owne iȝen, and weyle ȝe, and wepe ȝe; ȝoure leiȝing be it turned in to wepyng, and ȝoure ioye in to ſorewe of herte. Be ȝe mekid in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord, and he ſhal enhaunſe ȝou. Mi briþeren, nyle ȝe bakbite ech oþer. He þat bakbitiþ his broþir, or þat demeþ his broþer, bakbitiþ þe lawe, and demeþ þe lawe.

Forſoþe if þou demeſt þe lawe, þou art not a doere of þe lawe, but domeſman. Soþeli oon is ſpeker, or maker, of þe lawe, and iuge, þat mai leeſe, and delyuere. Forſoþe who art þou, þat demeſt þi neiȝebore? Lo! now ȝe þat ſeien, To day or to moru we ſhulen go in to þe ilke citee, and þere ſoþeli we ſhulen make a ȝeer, and we ſhulen make marchaundiſe, and we ſhulen make wynnyng; þe whiche witen not, what is to ȝou in þe morewe. Forſoþe what is ȝoure lijf? A vapour, or ſmoke, to a litil ſemynge, and afterward it ſhal be waaſtid. Þerfore þat ȝe ſeie, If þe Lord ſhal wole, and if we ſhulen lyue, we ſhulen do þis þing, or þat þing. Now forſoþe ȝe gladen in ȝoure pridis; euery ſich ioying is wickid.

Þerfore to a man kunnynge for to do good, and not doynge, ſynne is to him.