The Ante-Nicene Bible
Version Project - With Notes
(The King James
Bible Version Corrected)
James
James 1
1James, a
servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are
scattered abroad, greeting.
2My brethren,
count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3Knowing this,
that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4But let
patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire,
wanting nothing.
5If any of you
lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6But let him
ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea
driven with the wind and tossed.
7For let not
that man think that he shall receive any thing from Jehovah. (1)
8 A double
minded man is unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the
brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10But the rich,
in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
11For the sun
is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the
flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also
shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
12Blessed is
the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the
crown of life, which God (2) hath promised to them that love him.
13Let no man
say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with
evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14But every man
is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15Then when
lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished,
bringeth forth death.
16Do not err,
my beloved brethren.
17Every good
gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of
lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
18Of his own
will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of
firstfruits of his creatures.
Hearing and Doing
19Wherefore, my
beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20For the wrath
of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21Wherefore lay
apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness
the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22But be ye
doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23For 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:
24For he
beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of
man he was.
25But whoso
looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he
being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed
in his deed.
26 And if a man
thinks that he serves God (3), and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his
own heart, this man's service is worthless. (4)
27Pure religion
and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and
widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the
world.
Note: 1, 2, 3, 4 See
The Aramaic Bible In Plain English
James 2
1My brethren,
do not hold the glorious faith of our Lord Jesus Christ (1), with respect of
persons.
2For if there
come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there
come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
3And ye have
respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here
in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my
footstool:
4Are ye not
then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
5Hearken, my
beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and
heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
6But ye have
despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the
judgment seats?
7Do not they
blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
8If ye fulfil
the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself, ye do well:
9But if ye
have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
10For whosoever
shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of
all.
11For he that
said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no
adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
12So speak ye,
and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
13For he shall
have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth
against judgment.
14What doth
it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?
can faith save him?
15If a brother
or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16And one of
you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled;
notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body;
what doth it profit?
17Even so
faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18Yea, a man
may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy
works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19Thou
believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and
tremble.
20But wilt thou
know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21Was not
Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon
the altar?
22Seest thou how
faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23And the
scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed
unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24Ye see then
how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25Likewise also
was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the
messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26For as the
body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Note: 1 See The
Aramaic Bible In Plain English,
James 3
1My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the
greater condemnation.
2For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the
same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we
turn about their whole body.
4Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are
driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm,
whithersoever the governor listeth.
5Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things.
Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue
among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the
course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things
in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of
deadly poison.
9Therewith bless we Jehovah (1), the Father; and therewith curse we men,
which are made after the similitude of God.
10Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren,
these things ought not so to be.
11Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and
bitter?
12Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs?
so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
True Wisdom from
Above
13Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him
shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and
lie not against the truth.
15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual,
devilish.
16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and
every evil work.
17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Note: 1 See The
Aramaic Bible In Plain English
James 4
1From whence come
wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your
lusts that war in your members?
2Ye lust, and
have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet
ye have not, because ye ask not.
3Ye ask, and
receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your
lusts.
4Ye 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.
5Do ye think
that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to
envy?
6But he giveth
more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto
the humble.
Drawing Near to God
7Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8Draw nigh to
God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye
sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9Be afflicted,
and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your
joy to heaviness.
10Humble
yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
11Speak not
evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and
judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou
judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12There is one
lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest
another?
13Go to now, ye
that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a
year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14Whereas ye
know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It
is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15For that ye ought
to say, If Jehovah (1) will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
16But now ye
rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
17Therefore to
him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Note: 1 See The
Aramaic Bible In Plain English
James 5
1Go to now, ye
rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2Your riches
are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3Your 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.
4Behold, the
hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept
back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into
the ears of the Jehovah of Hosts (1).
5Ye have lived
in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in
a day of slaughter.
6Ye have
condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
7Be patient
therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman
waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it,
until he receive the early and latter rain.
8Be ye also
patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
9Grudge not
one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth
before the door.
10Take, my
brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of Jehovah (2), for an
example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
11Behold, we
count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have
seen the end of Jehovah (3) ; that Jehovah (4) is very pitiful, and of tender
mercy.
12But above all
things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth,
neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay;
lest ye fall into condemnation.
13Is any among
you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
14Is any sick
among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over
him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15And the
prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he
have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16Confess your
faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The
effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17Elias was a
man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might
not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six
months.
18And he prayed
again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
19Brethren, if
any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
20Let him know,
that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul
from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Note: 1, 2, 3, 4 See
The Aramaic Bible In Plain English
