James — The Coverdale Bible (1535)

James is the letter on faith shown in works, the taming of the tongue and patience. In Coverdale’s Bible of 1535 it stands in the New Testament under the heading “The Epistle of S. Iames”. Coverdale’s summary of the chapters stands before the text; the 1535 Bible has no verse numbers, so the text keeps its own paragraphs, in 5 chapters, with the marginal notes and references printed after each chapter.

The summe of this epistle.

• Chap. I. He exhorteth to reioyse in trouble, to be feruent in prayer with stedfast beleue, to loke for all good thinges from aboue, to forsake all vyce: and thankfully to receaue the worde of God, not onely hearynge it and speakynge of it, but to do therafter in dede. True religion or deuocion what it is.
• Chap. II. He forbyddeth to haue eny respecte of personnes, but to regarde the poore as wel as the ryche, to be louynge and mercifull, and not to boast of faith where no dedes are: for it is but a deed faith, where good workes folowe not.
• Chap III. What good and euell commeth thorow the tonge. The dutye of soch as be lerned. The difference betwixte the wyszdome of the gospell and the wyszdome of the worlde.
• Chap. IIII. Warre and fightinge commeth of volupteousnesse. The frendishipe of the worlde is enemyte before God. An exhortacion to flye slaunder and the vanite of this life.
• Chap. V. He threateneth the wicked rych mē, exhorteth vnto pacience, to bewarre of swearynge, one to knowlege his fautes to another, one to praye for another, and one to laboure to brynge another to the trueth.

Chapter 1

[A] IAmes the seruaunt of God and of the LORDE Iesus Christ, sendeth gretinge to the xij. trybes which are ⁽¹⁾scatered here & there. My brethren, counte it exceadynge ioye whē ye fall in to diuers temptacions, for as moche as ye knowe, how yᵗ the ⁽²⁾ tryinge of youre faith bringeth pacience: and let pacience haue her parfect worke, yᵗ ye maye be parfecte and sounde, lakinge nothinge.

⁽³⁾ Yf eny of you lacke wyszdome, let him axe of God, which geueth to all men indifferentlie, and casteth no man in the teth: and it shal be geuē him. But let him axe in faith and wauer not. For he that douteth, is lyke the wawes of yᵉ See, tost of the wynde, and caried wᵗ violence. Nether let yᵗ man thinke that he shal receaue eny thīge of yᵉ LORDE. A wauerynge mynded mā ys vnstable in all his waies.

[B] Let the brother of lowe degre reioyce, in yᵗ he is exalted: and the rich, in yᵗ he is made lowe. For euē as the floʳ of yᵉ grasse shal he vanyshe awaye. The Sonne ryseth wᵗ heat and the grasse wydereth, & his floure falleth awaye, and the beautie of the fassion of it periszheth: euen so shal the ryche man perisshe with his abundaunce.

Happy is the man that endureth in tēptacion, for when he is tryed,⁽⁴⁾ he shal receaue the crowne of life, which the LORDE hath promised to them that loue him.

Let no man saye when he is tempted, yᵗ he is tempted of God. For God tēpteth not vnto euell, nether tēpteth he eny man. But euery mā is tēpted, drawne awaye, & entysed of his awne cōcupiscēce. Thē whē lust hath conceaued, she bringeth forth synne, & synne when it is fynished, bringeth forth deeth.

Erre not my deare brethrē. ⁽⁵⁾Euery good gifte, & euery parfait gift, is from aboue, and cōmeth downe from yᵉ father of light, with whom is no variablenes, nether is he chaunged vnto darcknes. ⁽⁶⁾ Of his awne will begat he vs with the worde of life, that we shulde be the fyrst frutes of his creatures.

⁽⁷⁾ Wherfore deare brethren, let euery man beswifte to heare, slowe to speake, and slowe to wrath. For the wrath of mā worketh not that which is righteous before God.

Wherfore laye aparte all fylthines, all [C] superfluite of maliciousnes, & receaue with meknes yᵉ worde yᵗ is grafted in you, which is able to saue youre soules. ⁽⁸⁾ And se that ye be doers of yᵉ worde & not heares only deceauinge youre awne selues. ⁽⁹⁾ For yf eny heare the worde, and do it not, he is like vnto a mā that beholdeth his bodily face in a glasse. For assone as he hath loked on him selfe, he goeth his waye, and forgetteth immediatly what his faszhion was. ⁽¹⁰⁾ But who so loketh in yᵉ perfect lawe of libertie, and continueth therin (yf he be not a forgetfull hearer, but a doar of the worke) the same shalbe happie in his dede.

Yf eny man amonge you seme deuoute, & refrayne not his tōge: but deceaue his awne herte, this mannes deuocion is in vayne. Pure deuocion and vndefiled before God the father, is this: to visit the frendlesse and widdowes in their aduersite, and to kepe him selfe vnspotted of the ⁽¹¹⁾ worlde.

Notes to Chapter 1

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ct. 8. a

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩o. 5. a ⟨illegible⟩. Pet. 1. b ⟨illegible⟩ach. 13. b

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ro. 2. a

⁽⁴⁾ Iob. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁵⁾ Pro. ⟨illegible⟩ Ioh. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁶⁾ Ioh. ⟨illegible⟩ 1. Co⟨illegible⟩ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁷⁾ Pro▪ ⟨illegible⟩ Ecc⟨illegible⟩. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁸⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹⁰⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 2

BRethren, haue not the faith of oure [A] LORDE Iesus Christ yᵉ LORDE of glory in ⁽¹⁾ respecte of persons. Yf ther come in to yoʳ cōpany a mā wᵗ a goldē rynge and in goodly aparell, & ther come in also a poore man in vyle raymēt, & ye haue a respecte to him yᵗ weareth the gaye clothinge & saye vnto hī: Sit thou here ī a good place, & saye vnto yᵉ poore, stonde thou there or sit here vnder my fote stole: are ye not parciall in youre selues, and haue iudged after euyll thoughtes?

Harken my deare beloued brethrē. ⁽²⁾ Hath not God chosen the poore of this worlde, which are ryche in faith, and heyres of the kyngdom which he promysed to thē that loue him? But ye haue despised the poore. Are not the rych they which oppresse you: & they which drawe you before iudges? Do not they speake euell of that good name after which ye be named.

[B] Yf ye fulfill the royall lawe acordinge to the scripture which saith:⁽³⁾ Thou shalt loue thyne neghbour as thy selfe, ye do well. But yf ye regarde one person more then another, ye cōmit synne, and are rebuked of the lawe as tr⟨illegible⟩āgressours.⁽⁴⁾ Whosoeuer shal kepe the whole lawe, and yet fayle in one poynt, he is gyltie in all. For he that sayde: ⁽⁵⁾ Thou shalt not commit adulterie, sayed also: thou shalt not kyll. Though thou do none adulterie, yet yf thou kill, thou art a transgresser of the lawe. So speake ye, and so do as they that shalbe iudged by the lawe of libertie. ⁽⁶⁾ For ther shalbe iudgement merciles to him that sheweth no mercy, & mercy reioiseth against iudgment.

⁽⁷⁾ What a vayleth it my brethrē, though a man saye he hath faith, when he hath no dedes? Can faith saue him? ⁽⁸⁾ If a brother or a sister be naked or destitute of dayly fode, & one of you saye vnto them: Departe in peace, God sende you warmnes and fode: not withstōdinge ye geue them not tho thinges which are nedfull to the body: what helpeth it them? Euen so faith, yf it haue no dedes, is deed in it selfe.

[C] Ye & a man might saye: Thou hast faith, and I haue dedes: Shewe me thy faith by thy dedes: and I wil shewe the my faith by my dedes. Beleuest thou yᵗ ther is one God? Thou doest well. ⁽⁹⁾ The deuils also beleue and tremble.

Wilt thou vnderstōde o thou vayne man that faith with out dedes is deed: Was not Abraham oure father iustified thorow workes when he offered Isaac his sonne vpon the aulter? Thou seist how yᵗ faith wrought with his dedes, and through yᵉ dedes was the faith made perfect: & the scripture was fulfilled which faith: ⁽¹⁰⁾ Abrahā beleued God and it was reputed vnto him for rightewesnes: and he was called yᵉ frende of God. Ye se then how that of dedes a man is iustified, and not of faith only ⁽¹¹⁾ Likewise also was not Raab the harlot iustified thorow workes, when she receaued the messengers, and sent them out another waye? For as the body, with oute the sprete is deed, euen so faith wᵗ out dedes is deed.

Notes to Chapter 2

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩at. 5. a

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩uit. 19. c

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ec. 18. b

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. ⟨illegible⟩0. c

⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 18. d

⁽⁷⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 7. c

⁽⁸⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ 3. c

⁽⁹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. d ⟨illegible⟩. 1. c

⁽¹⁰⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 1⟨illegible⟩. b ⟨illegible⟩. 4. b ⟨illegible⟩ ▪ 1. a

⁽¹¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 3

MY brethrē, be not euery man a⁽¹⁾ master,[A] remēbrynge how that we shall receaue the more damnacion: for in many thinges we synne all.⁽²⁾ Yf a man synne not in worde, the same is a parfecte man, & able to tame all the body. Beholde, we put bittes into the horses mouthes yᵗ they shulde obeye vs, and we turne aboute all the body. Beholde also yᵉ shyppes, which though they be so gret, and are dryuen of fearce windes, yet are they turned about with a very smale helme, whither soeuer the violence of the gouerner wyll. Euen so the tōge is a lyttell member, and bosteth great thinges.

Beholde how gret a thinge a lyttell fyre [B] kyndleth, and the tonge is fyre, and a worlde of wyckednes. So is the tonge set amonge oure membres, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth a fyre all that we haue of nature, and is it selfe set a fyre euen of hell.

All the natures of beastes, and of byrdes, and of serpentes, and thinges of the see, are meked and tamed of the nature of mā. But the tōge can no man tame. Yt is an vnruely euell full of deedly poyson. Therwith blesse we God the father, and therwith cursse wemen which ⁽³⁾ are made after the similitude of God. Out of one mouth proceadeth blessynge and cursynge. My brethrē these thinges ought not so to be. Doth a fountayne sende forth at one place swete water and bytter also? Can the fygge tree, my Brethren, beare oliue beries: ether a vyne beare fygges? So can no fountayne geue bothe salt water and freszhe also. If eny man be wyse and endued with learnynge amonge you, let him shewe [C] the workes of his good cōuersacion in meknes that is coupled with wiszdome.

But yf ye haue bitter enuyenge and stryfe in yoʳ hertes, reioyce not: nether belyars agaynst the trueth. This wiszdome descendeth not from aboue: but is erthy, and naturall, and dyuelishe. For where enuyenge and stryfe is, there is vnstablenes and all māner of euell workes. But the wiszdom that is frō aboue, is fyrst pure, thē peasable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good frutes, without iudgynge, and without simulacion: yee, and the frute of rightewesnes is sowen in peace, of thē that mayntene peace.

Notes to Chapter 3

⁽¹⁾ Mat. 23. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ Eccli. 14 19. c. 25. b

⁽³⁾ Gen. 1. ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 4

FRom whence commeth warre and [A] fightynge amonge you: come they not here hence? euen of yoʳ volupteousnesses that rayne in youre mēbres? Ye lust, and haue not. Ye envie and haue indignacion, and can not obtayne. Ye fight & warre, and haue not, because ye axe not. Ye axe & receaue not because ye axe amysse: euē to cōsume it vpō yoʳ voluptuousnes. Ye aduouterars, & wemē that breke matrimonie: knowe ye not ⁽¹⁾ how that the frenshippe of yᵉ worlde is ennimite to godwarde? Whosoeuer wilbe a frende of the worlde, is made yᵉ enemie of god. Ether do ye thinke yᵗ the scripture sayth in vayne. The ⁽²⁾ sprete yᵗ dwelleth in you, lusteth euen contrary to enuie: but geueth more grace.

Submit youre selues to God, and ⁽³⁾ resist the deuell, & he wil flye frō you. Drawe nye to God & he wil drawe nye to you. Clense yoʳ hondes ye synners, and pourge youre hertes [B] ye wauerynge mynded. Suffre affliccions: sorowe ye and wepe. Let youre laughter be turned to mornynge, and youre ioye to heuynes.⁽⁴⁾ Cast downe youre selues before the LORDE, and he shal lift you vp. Backbyte not one another, brethren. He that backbyteth his brother, and he yᵗ iudgeth his brother, backbyteth the lawe, and iudgeth the lawe. But and yf thou iudge the lawe, thou art not an obseruer of the lawe: but a iudge. There is one lawe geuer, which is able to saue and to distroye. ⁽⁵⁾ What art thou that iudgest another man?

⁽⁶⁾ Go to now ye that saye: to daye & to morow let vs go into soche a citie and continue there a yeare, and bye and sell, and wynne: & yet cā not tell what shal happē to morowe. For what thinge is youre life? It is euen a vapoure that apereth for a lytell tyme, and thē vanysheth awaye: For that ye ought to say: ⁽⁷⁾ yf the LORDE wil, and yf we liue, let vs do this or that. But nowe ye reioyce in youre bostinges. All soche reioysynge is euell. Therfore ⁽⁸⁾ to him that knoweth how to do good, and doth it not, to him it is synne.

Notes to Chapter 4

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩oh. 2. c ⟨illegible⟩. 1. b

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 5. c

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩et. 5. b

⁽⁴⁾ Pet. 5. a

⁽⁵⁾ Ro. 14. a

⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ze. 18. a Luc. 12. b

⁽⁷⁾ Act. 28. a Heb. 6. a

⁽⁸⁾ Luc. 12. c

Chapter 5

[A] BOo to now ye riche men. Wepe, and howle on yo wretchednes that shal come vpon you.⁽¹⁾ Youre riches is corrupte, youre garmētes are motheaten. Youre golde & yo siluer are cancred, & the rust of them shalbe a witnes vnto you, & shal eate youre fleszhe, as it were fyre. Ye haue heaped treasure togedder in yo last dayes: ⁽²⁾ Beholde, the hyre of the labourers which haue reped downe youre feldes (which hyer is of you kept backe by fraude) cryeth: and the cryes of thē which haue reped, are entred in to the eares of the LORDE Sabaoth. Ye haue liued in pleasure on the earth and in wantannes. Ye haue noryszhed youre hertes,⁽³⁾ as in adaye of slaughter. Ye haue cōdempned and haue killed the iust, and he hath not resisted you.

Be pacient therfore brethren, vnto the cōmynge of the LORDE. Beholde, the huszbāde [B] man wayteth for the precious frute of yᵉ earth, and hath longe pacience there vpon, vntill he receaue the erly and the latter rayne. Be ye also pacient therfore, and settle youre hertes, for the commynge of the LORDE draweth nye. Grodge not one agaynst another brethren, lest ye be damned. Beholde, the iudge stondeth before the dore. Take (my brethren) the prophetes for an ensample of sufferynge aduersitie, and of longe pacience, which spake in the name of the LORDE. Beholde we counte them happy which endure. Ye haue hearde ⁽⁴⁾ of yᵉ paciēce of Iob, and haue knowen what ende the LORDE made. For the LORDE is very pitifull and mercifull.

But aboue all thinges my brethrē, sweare not, nether by heauē, nether by earth, nether [C] by eny other othe. Let youre ye be ye,⁽⁵⁾ and yo naye naye: lest ye faule in to ypocricy. Yf eny of you be euell vexed, let hī praye. Yf eny of you be mery, let him singe Psalmes. Yf eny be deseased amonge you, let him call for the elders of the congregacion, & let thē praye ouer him, and anoynte him with oyle in the name of the LORDE: and yᵉ prayer of faith shal saue the sicke, and the LORDE shal rayse him vp: and yf he haue cōmitted synnes, they shalbe forgeuen him.

Knowlege youre fautes one to another: and praye one for another, that ye maye be healed. The prayer of a righteous man auayleth moche, yf it be feruēt.⁽⁶⁾ Helias was a mā mortall euen as we are, and he prayed in his prayer, that it might not rayne: & it rayned not on the earth by the space of thre yeares and sixe monethes. ⁽⁷⁾ And he prayed agayne, and yᵉ heauē gaue rayne, & yᵉ earth brought forth her frute.

Brethren, yf eny of you erre frō the trueth and another conuert him, let yᵉ same knowe that he which conuerted the synner from goynge astraye out off his waye, shal saue a soule frō death, and shal hyde the multitude of synnes.

Notes to Chapter 5

⁽¹⁾ 1. Tim. 6. b

⁽²⁾ Leui. 19. c Deut. 24. c Tob. 4. c

⁽³⁾ Luc ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁷⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

The ende of the epistle of S. Iames.

Colophon

This page is an archival transcription of the printed text, not a Good Works Translation. Source: Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe (M.D.XXXV; STC 2063.3), translated by Myles Coverdale, the copy in Cambridge University Library, keyed and encoded by the Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP Phase I, text A10349, 2005) and released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 public-domain dedication.

47 places are still marked ⟨illegible⟩ (1 in the text, 46 in the marginal notes).

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