¹³ After they finished speaking, James replied, “My brothers,^[a] listen to me.^(A)

¹⁷ He motioned to them with his hand to be silent and described for them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he added, “Tell this to James and to the brothers and sisters.” Then he left and went to another place.^(A)

Salutation

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the dispersion:

Greetings.

¹² for until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the gentiles. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction.^(A)

⁹ and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the gentiles and they to the circumcised.^(A)

Hearing and Doing the Word

¹⁹ You must understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger,^(A)

¹⁹ but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord’s brother.^(A)

³⁰ If someone sitting receives a revelation, let the first person be silent. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged ³² (and the spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets, ³³ for God is a God not of disorder but of peace), as in all the churches of the saints.

22 “Brothers^[a] and fathers, listen to the defense that I now make before you.”^(A)

¹⁸ The next day Paul went with us to visit James, and all the elders were present.^(A)