Iacobus 1
| 1:1 | Iacobus, servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes of the dispersion, greetings. |
| 1:2 | fratres mei, when you have fallen into various trials, consider everything a joy, |
| 1:3 | knowing that the proving of your faith exercises patience, |
| 1:4 | and patience brings a work to perfection, so that you may be perfect and whole, deficient in nothing. |
| 1:5 | But if anyone among you is in need of wisdom, let him petition God, who gives abundantly to all without reproach, and it shall be given to him. |
| 1:6 | But he should ask with faith, doubting nothing. For he who doubts is like a wave on the ocean, which is moved about by the wind and carried away; |
| 1:7 | then a man should not consider that he would receive anything from the Lord. |
| 1:8 | For a man who is of two minds is inconstant in all his ways. |
| 1:9 | Now a humble brother should glory in his exaltation, |
| 1:10 | and a rich one, in his humiliation, for he will pass away like the flower of the grass. |
| 1:11 | For the sun has risen with a scorching heat, and has dried the grass, and its flower has fallen off, and the appearance of its beauty has perished. So also will the rich one wither away, according to his paths. |
| 1:12 | Blessed is the man who suffers temptation. For when he has been proven, he shall receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him. |
| 1:13 | No one should say, when he is tempted, that he was tempted by God. For God does not entice toward evils, and he himself tempts no one. |
| 1:14 | Sed vere, each one is tempted by his own desires, having been enticed and drawn away. |
| 1:15 | Deinceps, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. Yet truly sin, when it has been consummated, produces death. |
| 1:16 | Itaque, do not choose to go astray, my most beloved brothers. |
| 1:17 | Every excellent gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor any shadow of alteration. |
| 1:18 | For by his own will he produced us through the Word of truth, so that we might be a kind of beginning among his creatures. |
| 1:19 | You know this, my most beloved brothers. So let every man be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to anger. |
| 1:20 | For the anger of man does not accomplish the justice of God. |
| 1:21 | Quod huius, having cast away all uncleanness and an abundance of malice, receive with meekness the newly-grafted Word, which is able to save your souls. |
| 1:22 | So be doers of the Word, and not listeners only, deceiving yourselves. |
| 1:23 | For if anyone is a listener of the Word, but not also a doer, he is comparable to a man gazing into a mirror upon the face that he was born with; |
| 1:24 | and after considering himself, he went away and promptly forgot what he had seen. |
| 1:25 | But he who gazes upon the perfect law of liberty, and who remains in it, is not a forgetful hearer, but instead a doer of the work. He shall be blessed in what he does. |
| 1:26 | But if anyone considers himself to be religious, but he does not restrain his tongue, but instead seduces his own heart: such a one’s religion is vanity. |
| 1:27 | This is religion, clean and undefiled before God the Father: to visit orphans and widows in their tribulations, and to keep yourself immaculate, apart from this age. |
Iacobus 2
| 2:1 | fratres mei, within the glorious faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, do not choose to show favoritism toward persons. |
| 2:2 | For if a man has entered your assembly having a gold ring and splendid apparel, and if a poor man has also entered, in dirty clothing, |
| 2:3 | and if you are then attentive to the one who is clothed in excellent apparel, so that you say to him, “You may sit in this good place,” but you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,"or", “Sit below my footstool," |
| 2:4 | are you not judging within yourselves, and have you not become judges with unjust thoughts? |
| 2:5 | My most beloved brothers, audite. Has not God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that God has promised to those who love him? |
| 2:6 | But you have dishonored the poor. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you through power? And are not they the ones who drag you to judgment? |
| 2:7 | Are not they the ones who blaspheme the good name which has been invoked over you? |
| 2:8 | So if you perfect the regal law, secundum scripturas, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” then you do well. |
| 2:9 | But if you show favoritism to persons, then you commit a sin, having been convicted again by the law as transgressors. |
| 2:10 | Now whoever has observed the whole law, yet who offends in one matter, has become guilty of all. |
| 2:11 | For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not kill.” So if you do not commit adultery, but you kill, you have become a transgressor of the law. |
| 2:12 | So speak and act just as you are beginning to be judged, by the law of liberty. |
| 2:13 | For judgment is without mercy toward him who has not shown mercy. But mercy exalts itself above judgment. |
| 2:14 | fratres mei, what benefit is there if someone claims to have faith, but he does not have works? How would faith be able to save him? |
| 2:15 | So if a brother or sister is naked and daily in need of food, |
| 2:16 | and if anyone of you were to say to them: "Ite in pace", keep warm and nourished,” and yet not give them the things that are necessary for the body, of what benefit is this? |
| 2:17 | Thus even faith, if it does not have works, is dead, in and of itself. |
| 2:18 | Now someone may say: “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works! But I will show you my faith by means of works. |
| 2:19 | You believe that there is one God. You do well. But the demons also believe, and they tremble greatly. |
| 2:20 | Sic igitur, are you willing to understand, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? |
| 2:21 | Was not our father Abraham justified by means of works, by offering his son Isaac upon the altar? |
| 2:22 | Do you see that faith was cooperating with his works, and that by means of works faith was brought to fulfillment? |
| 2:23 | And so the Scripture was fulfilled which says: "Abraham credidit Deo", and it was reputed to him unto justice.” And so he was called the friend of God. |
| 2:24 | Do you see that a man is justified by means of works, and not by faith alone? |
| 2:25 | Similiter etiam, Rahab, meretrix, was she not justified by works, by receiving the messengers and sending them out through another way? |
| 2:26 | For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. |
Iacobus 3
| 3:1 | fratres mei, not many of you should choose to become teachers, knowing that you shall receive a stricter judgment. |
| 3:2 | For we all offend in many ways. If anyone does not offend in word, he is a perfect man. And he is then able, as if with a bridle, to lead the whole body around. |
| 3:3 | For so we put bridles into the mouths of horses, in order to submit them to our will, and so we turn their whole body around. |
| 3:4 | Consider also the ships, quod ", though they are great and may be driven by strong winds, yet they are turned around with a small rudder, to be directed to wherever the strength of the pilot might will. |
| 3:5 | So also the tongue certainly is a small part, but it moves great things. Consider that a small fire can set ablaze a great forest. |
| 3:6 | And so the tongue is like a fire, comprising all iniquity. The tongue, stationed in the midst of our body, can defile the entire body and inflame the wheel of our nativity, setting a fire from Hell. |
| 3:7 | For the nature of all beasts and birds and serpents and others is ruled over, and has been ruled over, by human nature. |
| 3:8 | But no man is able to rule over the tongue, a restless evil, full of deadly poison. |
| 3:9 | By it we bless God the Father, and by it we speak evil of men, who have been made in the likeness of God. |
| 3:10 | From the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. fratres mei, these things ought not to be so! |
| 3:11 | Does a fountain emit, out of the same opening, both sweet and bitter water? |
| 3:12 | fratres mei, can the fig tree yield grapes? Or the vine, figs? Then neither is salt water able to produce fresh water. |
| 3:13 | Who is wise and well-taught among you? Let him show, by means of good conversation, his work in the meekness of wisdom. |
| 3:14 | But if you hold a bitter zeal, and if there is contention in your hearts, then do not boast and do not be liars against the truth. |
| 3:15 | For this is not wisdom, descending from above, but rather it is earthly, beastly, and diabolical. |
| 3:16 | Ubicumque enim invidia et contentio, ibi est inconstantia et omne opus pravum. |
| 3:17 | In sapientia autem quae desursum est, certe, castitas est prima, et altera pacificatio, mansuetudo, apertus, consentiendo id quod est bonum, plenitudinem misericordiae et fructuum bonorum, non iudicans, sine mendacio. |
| 3:18 | fructus itaque iustitiae in pace seminatur facientibus pacem. |
Iacobus 4
| 4:1 | Unde bella et lites in vobis ?? nonne ex hoc: ex desideriis tuis, quae pugna in membris tuis? |
| 4:2 | cupis, et non habetis. Invides et occidis, et non potestis adipisci. Arguis et pugnare, et non habetis, quia non quaeritur. |
| 4:3 | rogas et non recipis, quod male quaeris, ut ea possis desideriis tuis uti. |
| 4:4 | vos adulteri! Nescitis quoniam amicitia huius mundi inimica est Deo? Ergo, quicumque voluerit esse amicus huius mundi, inimicus Dei constituitur. |
| 4:5 | An putatis frustra dicit Scriptura: "Spiritus, qui in vobis est, ad invidiam concupiscit"?" |
| 4:6 | majorem autem dat gratiam. Ideo dicit: "Deus superbis resistit", humilibus autem dat gratiam. |
| 4:7 | Ergo, sub Deo. Sed diabolo resistite, et fugiet a te. |
| 4:8 | Appropinquate Deo, et appropinquabit vobis. Munda manus, peccatores! et corda emunda, tu animarum duplicium! |
| 4:9 | affligetur: lugete et flete. Risus vester in luctum convertatur, et gaudium uestrum in luctum. |
| 4:10 | Humiliamini in conspectu Domini, et exaltabit te. |
| 4:11 | Fratres, do not choose to slander one another. Whoever slanders his brother, or whoever judges his brother, slanders the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge. |
| 4:12 | There is one lawgiver and one judge. He is able to destroy, and he is able to set free. |
| 4:13 | sed tu quis es, qui iudicas proximum tuum?? Hoc vide, tu qui dicis, "Hodie vel cras in illam civitatem ibimus", et certe ibi per annum expendemus, et faciemus negotium, et lucrum nostrum facimus," |
| 4:14 | cogita, nescis quid cras futurum sit. |
| 4:15 | Quid enim est vita tua?? Est caligo quae ad breve tempus apparet, et postea evanescet. Quid ergo oportet dicere: "Si Dominus vult,"or", "Si vivimus","Nos hoc vel illud". |
| 4:16 | Nunc autem exultas in superbia tua. Omnis ista exultatio est impia. |
| 4:17 | Ergo, qui scit se bonum esse faciendum, et non facit, peccatum est illi. |
Iacobus 5
| 5:1 | Agere nunc, tu qui opulentos es! flete et ululate in miseriis vestris, quod cito veniet tibi! |
| 5:2 | Divitiae tuae corruptae sunt, et vestimenta vestra a tineis comesta sunt. |
| 5:3 | Aurum et argentum tuum rubiginosa sunt, et rubigo eorum erit testimonium contra vos, et carnes vestras sicut ignis comedet. Disposuisti iram tibi in novissimis diebus. |
| 5:4 | Considera mercedem operarios, qui messuerunt regiones vestras: id est abutitur a te; clamat. Et introivit clamor eorum in aures Domini exercituum. |
| 5:5 | Epulati estis super terram, et deliciarum corda enutristis, usque ad diem occisionis. |
| 5:6 | Tu duxisti et occidisti Iustum, et non resistit vobis. |
| 5:7 | Ergo, be patient, fratres, until the advent of the Lord. Consider that the farmer anticipates the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently, until he receives the early and the late rains. |
| 5:8 | Ergo, you too should be patient and should strengthen your hearts. For the advent of the Lord draws near. |
| 5:9 | Fratres, nolite ingemiscere contra alterutrum, ut non iudicemini. Ecce, iudex ante ianuam stat. |
| 5:10 | fratres mei, considerans Prophetas, qui locuti sunt in nomine Domini, exemplum recedendi a malo, laboris, et patientiae. |
| 5:11 | Considera quod beatificamus eos qui sustinuerunt. Iob audisti patientis. Et finem Domini vidistis, quoniam misericors est Dominus et miserator. |
| 5:12 | Sed ante omnia, fratres mei, nolite iurare, neque hercle, neque per terram, neque in alio iuramento. sed sit sermo tuus 'sic est', et verbum tuum 'non esto non', ut non sub judicio decidatis. |
| 5:13 | Tristis est aliquis vestrum? Oret. Estne ille etiam iracundus?? Canat psalmos. |
| 5:14 | Male est apud vos? Presbyteris Ecclesiae introducat, et orent super eo, ungendo eum oleo in nomine Domini. |
| 5:15 | Et oratio fidei salvabit infirmos, et Dominus adlevabit eum. Et si peccata habet, dimittentur illi. |
| 5:16 | Ergo, confitemini alterutrum peccata vestra, et orate pro invicem, ut salvemini. Iusti enim oratio assidua multis praevalet. |
| 5:17 | Elias homo erat similis nobis, et oravit ut non plueret super terram. Et non pluit annis tribus et mensibus sex. |
| 5:18 | Et iterum oravit. Et caeli dederunt pluviam, et terra peperit fructum suum. |
| 5:19 | fratres mei, si quis ex vobis erraverit a veritate, et si quis converterit eum, |
| 5:20 | Debet autem scire quia quicumque peccaverit ex errore viarum suarum, salvabit animam suam a morte et operiet multitudinem peccatorum.. |