Book of Common Prayer

1 I am James. I am a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I send greetings to all of God's people wherever they live.

² My brothers, be very happy when you are tested by having troubles of many kinds.

³ You know this, that when you prove you believe, you become stronger to take troubles.

⁴ But you must keep on being strong to take trouble. Then you will be all right in every way. You will not need anything more.

⁵ If any of you need to be wise, ask God to make you wise. He gives plenty of wisdom to all people. He is not angry because you ask him. He will make you wise.

⁶ But when you ask, you must believe that God will do it. You must not doubt and think, `Perhaps God will not do it.' A person who doubts is like a wave on the sea. The wind drives it this way and that way.

⁷ That person must not think that he will get anything from the Lord.

⁸ A person like that has two minds. He cannot go straight in any of his ways.

⁹ A Christian brother who is poor should be glad: he is in a high place now he is a Christian.

¹⁰ A Christian brother who is rich should be glad: he is in a low place now he is a Christian. A rich man will pass away like a flower on the grass.

¹¹ The sun shines and is very hot. Then the grass dries and its flower falls off. It was nice at first, but now it is not nice any more. In the same way, the rich man will die while he is going around trying to make money.

¹² God will bless any man who is strong to take his trouble, when he is being tested. When he has proved he is strong, he will live for ever. That is what the Lord has promised to those who love him.

¹³ No one who wants to do something wrong should say, `God is trying to make me do this wrong thing.' God cannot do anything wrong.

¹⁴ It is their own heart which is wrong. That is why he wants to do something wrong. It fools him.

¹⁵ Then the wrong in his heart makes him do the wrong thing. And the wrong thing he has done leads to death.

15 The tax collectors and bad people all came close to Jesus to hear him.

² The Pharisees and scribes did not like it. And they said to each other, `This man is glad to have bad people come. He eats with them.'

¹¹ Jesus also said, `A man had two sons.

¹² The younger son said to his father, "Father, give me my part of what will belong to me." So his father divided all he had between the two sons.

¹³ After a few days, the younger son packed up his things. He left home and went to a country far away. There he spent his money in foolish and wrong ways.

¹⁴ He spent everything he had. `There was no food in that country for a long time. He began to be in trouble.

¹⁵ So he went to stay with a man in the country who had a farm. The man sent him out to his farm to feed the pigs.

¹⁶ He would have been glad to eat the food the pigs ate. But no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ `Then he started to get sense. He said, "My father has many men who work for him. They have plenty of food. But here I am dying because I have nothing to eat!

¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father. I will say to him, "Father I have been a bad son. I have done wrong to God in heaven and to you.

¹⁹ I am not good enough now to be called your son. Let me be like one of these men who work for you."

²⁰ `So he got up and went to his father. While he was still far away, his father saw him. He loved him and wanted to share in his troubles. He ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ The son said to him, "Father, I have been a bad son. I have done wrong to God in heaven and to you. I am not good enough now to be called your son. Let me be like one of these men who work for you."

²² `But his father said to his servants, "Go quickly and bring the best clothes. Dress him. Put a ring on his hand. Put shoes on his feet.

²³ Bring the fat calf and kill it. Let us have a feast and a good time.

²⁴ This is my son. He was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and is found." And they began to have a good time.

²⁵ `The older son was out on the farm. When he came home and was near the house, he heard music and dancing.

²⁶ He called one of the servants and said, "What is going on?"

²⁷ The servant said, "Your brother has come home. Your father has killed the fat young cow because your brother is home and he is well."

²⁸ `But the older son was angry. He would not go into the house. His father came out and begged him to come in.

²⁹ But the son said to his father, "Look. I have worked hard for you for many years. I have always done everything you told me to do. And yet you never even gave me a young goat to make a feast with my friends.

³⁰ But now this son of yours has come back. He has spent all your money and was with bad women. And yet you kill the fat calf for him!"

³¹ `The father said, "Son you have always been with me. And all that I have is yours.

³² But now we should have a good time and be happy. Your brother was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and is found." '