¹Jacobus,James,Dei et Domini nostri Jesu Christi servus,servant of Godduodecim tribubus,and of our Lord Jesus Christ,quæ sunt in dispersione,to the twelve tribes of the dispersion,salutem.greetings.

¹Jacobus,James,Dei et Domini nostri Jesu Christi servus,servant of Godduodecim tribubus,and of our Lord Jesus Christ,quæ sunt in dispersione,to the twelve tribes of the dispersion,salutem.greetings.

²Omne gaudium existimate fratres mei,My brothers, when you have fallen into various trials,cum in tentationes varias incideritis:consider everything a joy,

²Omne gaudium existimate fratres mei,My brothers, when you have fallen into various trials,cum in tentationes varias incideritis:consider everything a joy,

³scientes quod probatio fidei vestræ patientiam operatur.knowing that the proving of your faith exercises patience,

³scientes quod probatio fidei vestræ patientiam operatur.knowing that the proving of your faith exercises patience,

⁴Patientia autem opus perfectum habet:and patience brings a work to perfection,ut sitis perfectiso that you may be perfect and whole,et integri in nullo deficientes.deficient in nothing.

⁴Patientia autem opus perfectum habet:and patience brings a work to perfection,ut sitis perfectiso that you may be perfect and whole,et integri in nullo deficientes.deficient in nothing.

⁵Si quis autem vestrum indiget sapientia,But if anyone among you is in need of wisdom,postulet a Deo,let him petition God,qui dat omnibus affluenter,who gives abundantly to all without reproach,et non improperat: et dabitur ei.and it shall be given to him.

⁵Si quis autem vestrum indiget sapientia,But if anyone among you is in need of wisdom,postulet a Deo,let him petition God,qui dat omnibus affluenter,who gives abundantly to all without reproach,et non improperat: et dabitur ei.and it shall be given to him.

⁶Postulet autem in fide nihil hæsitans:But he should ask with faith,qui enim hæsitat,doubting nothing.similis est fluctui maris,For he who doubts is like a wave on the ocean,qui a vento movetur et circumfertur:which is moved about by the wind and carried away;

⁶Postulet autem in fide nihil hæsitans:But he should ask with faith,qui enim hæsitat,doubting nothing.similis est fluctui maris,For he who doubts is like a wave on the ocean,qui a vento movetur et circumfertur:which is moved about by the wind and carried away;

⁷non ergo æstimet homo ille quod accipiat aliquid a Domino.then a man should not consider that he would receive anything from the Lord.

⁷non ergo æstimet homo ille quod accipiat aliquid a Domino.then a man should not consider that he would receive anything from the Lord.

⁸Vir duplex animo inconstans est in omnibus viis suis.For a man who is of two minds is inconstant in all his ways.

⁸Vir duplex animo inconstans est in omnibus viis suis.For a man who is of two minds is inconstant in all his ways.

⁹Glorietur autem frater humilis in exaltatione sua:Now a humble brother should glory in his exaltation,

⁹Glorietur autem frater humilis in exaltatione sua:Now a humble brother should glory in his exaltation,

¹⁰dives autem in humilitate sua,and a rich one, in his humiliation,quoniam sicut flos fœni transibit;for he will pass away like the flower of the grass.

¹⁰dives autem in humilitate sua,and a rich one, in his humiliation,quoniam sicut flos fœni transibit;for he will pass away like the flower of the grass.

¹¹exortus est enim sol cum ardore,For the sun has risen with a scorching heat,et arefecit fœnum,and has dried the grass,et flos ejus decidit,and its flower has fallen off,et decor vultus ejus deperiit:and the appearance of its beauty has perished.itaSo also will the rich one wither away,et dives in itineribus suis marcescet.according to his paths.

¹¹exortus est enim sol cum ardore,For the sun has risen with a scorching heat,et arefecit fœnum,and has dried the grass,et flos ejus decidit,and its flower has fallen off,et decor vultus ejus deperiit:and the appearance of its beauty has perished.itaSo also will the rich one wither away,et dives in itineribus suis marcescet.according to his paths.

¹²Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem:Blessed is the man who suffers temptation.quoniam cum probatus fuerit,For when he has been proven,accipiet coronam vitæ, quam repromisit Deus diligentibus se.he shall receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.

¹²Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem:Blessed is the man who suffers temptation.quoniam cum probatus fuerit,For when he has been proven,accipiet coronam vitæ, quam repromisit Deus diligentibus se.he shall receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.

¹³Nemo cum tentatur,No one should say,dicat quoniam a Deo tentatur:when he is tempted, that he was tempted by God.Deus enim intentator malorum est:For God does not entice toward evils,ipse autem neminem tentat.and he himself tempts no one.

¹³Nemo cum tentatur,No one should say,dicat quoniam a Deo tentatur:when he is tempted, that he was tempted by God.Deus enim intentator malorum est:For God does not entice toward evils,ipse autem neminem tentat.and he himself tempts no one.

¹⁴Unusquisque vero tentatur a concupiscentia sua abstractus, et illectus.Yet truly, each one is tempted by his own desires, having been enticed and drawn away.

¹⁴Unusquisque vero tentatur a concupiscentia sua abstractus, et illectus.Yet truly, each one is tempted by his own desires, having been enticed and drawn away.

¹⁵Deinde concupiscentia cum conceperit,Thereafter, when desire has conceived,parit peccatum:it gives birth to sin.peccatum vero cum consummatum fuerit,Yet truly sin, when it has been consummated,generat mortem.produces death.

¹⁵Deinde concupiscentia cum conceperit,Thereafter, when desire has conceived,parit peccatum:it gives birth to sin.peccatum vero cum consummatum fuerit,Yet truly sin, when it has been consummated,generat mortem.produces death.

¹⁶Nolite itaque errare,And so, do not choose to go astray,fratres mei dilectissimi.my most beloved brothers.

¹⁶Nolite itaque errare,And so, do not choose to go astray,fratres mei dilectissimi.my most beloved brothers.

¹⁷Omne datum optimum,Every excellent giftet omne donum perfectum desursum est,and every perfect gift is from above,descendens a Patre luminum,descending from the Father of lights,apud quem non est transmutatio,with whom there is no change,nec vicissitudinis obumbratio.nor any shadow of alteration.

¹⁷Omne datum optimum,Every excellent giftet omne donum perfectum desursum est,and every perfect gift is from above,descendens a Patre luminum,descending from the Father of lights,apud quem non est transmutatio,with whom there is no change,nec vicissitudinis obumbratio.nor any shadow of alteration.

¹⁸Voluntarie enim genuit nos verbo veritatis,For by his own will he produced us through the Word of truth,ut simus initium aliquod creaturæ ejus.so that we might be a kind of beginning among his creatures.

¹⁸Voluntarie enim genuit nos verbo veritatis,For by his own will he produced us through the Word of truth,ut simus initium aliquod creaturæ ejus.so that we might be a kind of beginning among his creatures.

¹⁹Scitis,You know this,fratres mei dilectissimi.my most beloved brothers.Sit autem omnis homo velox ad audiendum:So let every man be quick to listen,tardus autem ad loquendum,but slow to speaket tardus ad iram.and slow to anger.

¹⁹Scitis,You know this,fratres mei dilectissimi.my most beloved brothers.Sit autem omnis homo velox ad audiendum:So let every man be quick to listen,tardus autem ad loquendum,but slow to speaket tardus ad iram.and slow to anger.

²⁰Ira enim viri justitiam Dei non operatur.For the anger of man does not accomplish the justice of God.

²⁰Ira enim viri justitiam Dei non operatur.For the anger of man does not accomplish the justice of God.

²¹Propter quod abjicientes omnem immunditiam,Because of this,et abundantiam malitiæ,having cast away all uncleanness and an abundance of malice,in mansuetudine suscipite insitum verbum,receive with meekness the newly-grafted Word,quod potest salvare animas vestras.which is able to save your souls.

²¹Propter quod abjicientes omnem immunditiam,Because of this,et abundantiam malitiæ,having cast away all uncleanness and an abundance of malice,in mansuetudine suscipite insitum verbum,receive with meekness the newly-grafted Word,quod potest salvare animas vestras.which is able to save your souls.

²²Estote autem factores verbi,So be doers of the Word,et non auditores tantum:and not listeners only,fallentes vosmetipsos.deceiving yourselves.

²²Estote autem factores verbi,So be doers of the Word,et non auditores tantum:and not listeners only,fallentes vosmetipsos.deceiving yourselves.

²³Quia si quis auditor est verbi,For if anyone is a listener of the Word,et non factor,but not also a doer,hic comparabitur viro consideranti vultum nativitatis suæ in speculo:he is comparable to a man gazing into a mirror upon the face that he was born with;

²³Quia si quis auditor est verbi,For if anyone is a listener of the Word,et non factor,but not also a doer,hic comparabitur viro consideranti vultum nativitatis suæ in speculo:he is comparable to a man gazing into a mirror upon the face that he was born with;

²⁴consideravit enim se,and after considering himself,et abiit,he went awayet statim oblitus est qualis fuerit.and promptly forgot what he had seen.

²⁴consideravit enim se,and after considering himself,et abiit,he went awayet statim oblitus est qualis fuerit.and promptly forgot what he had seen.

²⁵Qui autem perspexerit in legem perfectam libertatis,But he who gazes upon the perfect law of liberty,et permanserit in ea,and who remains in it,non auditor obliviosus factus,is not a forgetful hearer,sed factor operis:but instead a doer of the work.hic beatus in facto suo erit.He shall be blessed in what he does.

²⁵Qui autem perspexerit in legem perfectam libertatis,But he who gazes upon the perfect law of liberty,et permanserit in ea,and who remains in it,non auditor obliviosus factus,is not a forgetful hearer,sed factor operis:but instead a doer of the work.hic beatus in facto suo erit.He shall be blessed in what he does.

²⁶Si quis autem putat se religiosum esse,But if anyone considers himself to be religious,non refrenans linguam suam,but he does not restrain his tongue,sed seducens cor suum,but instead seduces his own heart:hujus vana est religio.such a one’s religion is vanity.

²⁶Si quis autem putat se religiosum esse,But if anyone considers himself to be religious,non refrenans linguam suam,but he does not restrain his tongue,sed seducens cor suum,but instead seduces his own heart:hujus vana est religio.such a one’s religion is vanity.

²⁷Religio munda et immaculata apud Deum et Patrem, hæc est:This is religion, clean and undefiled before God the Father:visitare pupillos et viduas in tribulatione eorum,to visit orphans and widows in their tribulations,et immaculatum se custodire ab hoc sæculo.and to keep yourself immaculate, apart from this age.

²⁷Religio munda et immaculata apud Deum et Patrem, hæc est:This is religion, clean and undefiled before God the Father:visitare pupillos et viduas in tribulatione eorum,to visit orphans and widows in their tribulations,et immaculatum se custodire ab hoc sæculo.and to keep yourself immaculate, apart from this age.