The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

But you are come to mount Sion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of angels,

And to the church of the firstborn who are written in the heavens, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect,

And to Jesus the mediator of the new testament, and to the sprinkling of blood which speaketh better than that of Abel.

See that you refuse him not that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke upon earth, much more shall not we that turn away from him that speaketh to us from heaven.

Whose voice then moved the earth; but now he promiseth, saying: Yet once more: and I will move, not only the earth, but heaven also.

And in that he saith: Yet once more, he signifieth the translation of the moveable things as made, that those things may remain which are immoveable.

Therefore, receiving an immoveable kingdom, we have grace: whereby let us serve, pleasing God, with fear and reverence.

For our God is a consuming fire.

Let the charity of the brotherhood abide in you.

And hospitality do not forget: for by this some, being not aware of it, have entertained angels.

Remember them that are in bands, as if you were bound with them: and them that labour, as being yourselves also in the body.

Marriage honourable in all, and the bed undefiled. For fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

Let your manners be without covetousness, contented with such things as you have. For he hath said: I will not leave thee: neither will I forsake thee.

So that we may confidently say: The Lord is my helper: I will not fear what man shall do to me.

Remember your prelates who have spoken the word of God to you: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation,

Jesus Christ, yesterday, and today: and the same for ever.

Be not led away with various and strange doctrines. For it is best that the heart be established with grace, not with meats: which have not profited those that walk in them.

We have an altar whereof they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle.

For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the holies by the high priest for sin are burned without the camp.

Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people by his own blood, suffered without the gate.

Let us go forth therefore to him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

For, we have not here a lasting city: but we seek one that is to come.

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise always to God, that is to say, the fruit of lips confessing to his name.

And do not forget to do good and to impart: for by such sacrifices God's favour is obtained.

Obey your prelates and be subject to them. For they watch as being to render an account of your souls: that they may do this with joy and not with grief. For this is not expedient for you.

Pray for us. For we trust we have a good conscience, being willing to behave ourselves well in all things.

And I beseech you the more to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

And may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great pastor of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the blood of the everlasting testament,

Fit you in all goodness, that you may do his will; doing in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom is glory for ever and ever. Amen.

And I beseech you, brethren, that you suffer this word of consolation. For I have written to you in a few words.

Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty: with whom (if he come shortly) I will see you.

Salute all your prelates and all the saints. The brethren from Italy salute you.

Grace be with you all. Amen.

James, the servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers temptations:

Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience

And patience hath a perfect work: that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing.

But if any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth to all men abundantly and upbraideth not. And it shall be given him.

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, which is moved and carried about by the wind.

Therefore let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

A double minded man is inconstant in all his ways.

But let the brother of low condition glory in his exaltation:

And the rich, in his being low: because as the flower of the grass shall he pass away.

For the sun rose with a burning heat and parched the grass: and the flower thereof fell off, and the beauty of the shape thereof perished. So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for, when he hath been proved, he shall receive the crown of life which God hath promised to them that love him.

Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. For God is not a tempter of evils: and he tempteth no man.

But every man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured.

Then, when concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin. But sin, when it is completed, begetteth death.

Do not err, therefore, my dearest brethren.

Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change nor shadow of alteration.

For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creature.

You know, my dearest brethren. And let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak and slow to anger.

For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God.

Wherefore, casting away all uncleanness and abundance of naughtiness, with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

For if a man be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he shall be compared to a man beholding his own countenance in a glass.

For he beheld himself and went his way and presently forgot what manner of man he was.

But he that hath looked into the perfect law of liberty and hath continued therein, not becoming a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work: this man shall be blessed in his deed.

And if any man think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue but deceiving his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation and to keep one's self unspotted from this world.

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory, with respect of persons.

For if there shall come into your assembly a man having a golden ring, in fine apparel; and there shall come in also a poor man in mean attire:

And you have respect to him that is clothed with the fine apparel and shall say to him: Sit thou here well: but say to the poor man: Stand thou there, or: Sit under my footstool:

Do you not judge within yourselves, and are become judges of unjust thoughts?

Hearken, my dearest brethren: Hath not God chosen the poor in this world, rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him?

But you have dishonoured the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you by might? And do not they draw you before the judgment seats?

Do not they blaspheme the good name that is invoked upon you?

If then you fulfil the royal law, according to the scriptures: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; you do well.

But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, being reproved by the law as transgressors.

And whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all.

For he that said: Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also: Thou shalt not kill. Now if thou do not commit adultery, but shalt kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

So speak ye and so do, as being to be judged by the law of liberty.

For judgment without mercy to him that hath not done mercy. And mercy exalteth itself above judgment.

What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him?

And if a brother or sister be naked and want daily food:

And one of you say to them: Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; yet give them not those things that are necessary for the body, what shall it profit?

So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works. Shew me thy faith without works; and I will shew thee, by works, my faith.

Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, offering up Isaac his son upon the altar?

Seest thou that faith did cooperate with his works and by works faith was made perfect?

And the scripture was fulfilled, saying: Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him to justice, and he was called the friend of God.

Do you see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only?

And in like manner also Rahab the harlot, was not she justified by works, receiving the messengers and sending them out another way?

For even as the body without the spirit is dead: so also faith without works is dead.

Be ye not many masters, my brethren, knowing that you receive the greater judgment.

For in many things we all offend. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man. He is able also with a bridle to lead about the whole body.

For if we put bits into the mouths of horses, that they may obey us: and we turn about their whole body.

Behold also ships, whereas they are great and are driven by strong winds, yet are they turned about with a small helm, whithersoever the force of the governor willeth.

Even so the tongue is indeed a little member and boasteth great things. Behold how small a fire kindleth a great wood.

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is placed among our members, which defileth the whole body and inflameth the wheel of our nativity, being set on fire by hell.

For every nature of beasts and of birds and of serpents and of the rest is tamed and hath been tamed, by the nature of man.

But the tongue no man can tame, an unquiet evil, full of deadly poison.

By it we bless God and the Father: and by it we curse men who are made after the likeness of God.

Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Doth a fountain send forth, out of the same hole, sweet and bitter water?

Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear grapes? Or the vine, figs? So neither can the salt water yield sweet.

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge, among you? Let him shew, by a good contestation, his work in the meekness of wisdom.

But if you have bitter zeal, and there be contention in your hearts: glory not and be not liars against the truth.