13Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God; for God can not be tempted with evil, and himself tempts no one. 14But each one is tempted, when by his own lust he is drawn away and enticed. 15Then lust, having conceived, brings forth sin; and sin, when completed, brings forth death.
16Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom there is no variableness, or shadow of turning. 18Of his own will he begot us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.
19So that, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20for the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God.
21Wherefore, putting off all filthiness and excess of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if any one is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like to a man beholding his natural face in a mirror. 24For he beheld himself, and has gone away; and immediately he forgot what manner of man he was. 25But he who looked into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and remained thereby, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of work, this man shall be happy in his doing.
26If any one thinks that he is religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
27Religion, pure and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: To visit the orphans and widows in their affliction; to keep himself unspotted from the world.
II. My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons. 2For if there have come into your assembly a man with a gold ring, in gay clothing, and there have come in also a poor man in mean clothing; 3and ye have respect to him that wears the gay clothing, and say: Sit thou here in a good place, and say to the poor man: Stand thou there, or, Sit under my footstool; 4were ye not partial in yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
5Hearken, my beloved brethren. Did not God choose the poor as to this world[5] to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him? 6But ye dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and do not they drag you before the judgment-seats? 7Do not they blaspheme the worthy name by which ye are called?
8If indeed ye fulfill the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well. 9But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11For he who said: Do not commit adultery, said also: Do not kill. Now if thou commit not adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12So speak, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 13For the judgment shall be without mercy, to him that showed no mercy. Mercy glories over judgment.