Book of Common Prayer

He exhorts to rejoice in trouble, to be fervent in prayer with steadfast belief, to look for all good things from above, to forsake all vice, and thankfully to receive the word of God, not only hearing it and speaking of it, but to do thereafter in deed. True religion or devotion: what it is.

1 James, the servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, sends greeting to the twelve tribes which are scattered here and there. 

² My brethren, count it exceeding joy when you fall into various trials, ³ seeing as you know that the trying of your faith brings patience. ⁴ And let patience have her perfect work, so that you may be perfect and sound, lacking nothing.

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all impartially, and casts no man in the teeth, and it shall be given him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, and waver not. For he who doubts is like the waves of the sea, tossed with the wind and carried about. ⁷ Neither let that person think that he will receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ A wavering-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

⁹ Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, ¹⁰ and the rich in that he is made low. For like the flower of the grass, he will vanish away. ¹¹ The sun rises with heat, and the grass withers, and its flower falls away, and the beauty of the appearance of it perishes; even so shall the rich man perish with his abundance.

¹² Happy is the man who endures in temptation, for when he is proved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him.

¹³ Let no one say when he is tempted, that he is tempted by God. For God tempts not to evil, nor does he tempt anyone, ¹⁴ but every person is tempted, drawn away, and enticed by his own fleshly nature and evil desire. ¹⁵ Then when desire has conceived, she brings forth sin, and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death.

The loving mercy of God is openly seen in the parables of the hundredth sheep and of the son that was lost.

15 Then all the publicans and sinners sought him out, in order to hear him. ² And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, He receives sinners into his company, and eats with them.

¹¹ And he said, A certain man had two sons, ¹² and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the part of the goods that belongs to me. And he divided the substance of his wealth between them. ¹³ And not long after, the younger son gathered all that he had together, and took his journey into a far country. And there he wasted his goods with riotous living. ¹⁴ And when he had spent all that he had, there arose a great dearth throughout all that same land, and he began to be in want. ¹⁵ And he went and attached himself to a citizen of that same country, who sent him to his field to keep his swine. ¹⁶ And he would gladly have filled his belly with the pods that the swine ate, but no man gave to him.

¹⁷ Then he came to himself and said, How many hired servants at my father’s have bread enough, and I am dying of hunger? ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, ¹⁹ and am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.

²⁰ And he arose and went to his father. And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son. ²² But his father said to his servants, Bring forth that best garment and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. ²³ And bring here the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. ²⁴ For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is now found. And they began to be merry.

²⁵ The elder brother was in the field, and when he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing, ²⁶ and called one of his servants and asked what those things meant. ²⁷ And the servant said to him, Your brother is come, and your father had the fatted calf killed, because he has received him safe and sound.

²⁸ And the elder brother was angry and would not go in. Then his father came out and entreated him. ²⁹ He answered and said to his father, Lo, these many years I have served you, and not once broken your commandment, and yet you never gave me so much as a kid to make merry with my friends. ³⁰ But as soon as this your son comes, who has devoured your goods with harlots, you have for his pleasure killed the fatted calf!

³¹ And the father said to him, Son, you were always with me, and all that I have is yours. ³² It was right to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive again, and was lost, and is found.