but let him ask in faith, nothing doubting. For he that doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed about;

Such a man must not expect to get anything from the Lord??8 an irresolute person like him, who is uncertain about everything he does.

being a double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides].

For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass [so that] its flower [blossoms] fall off, and its beautiful appearance is destroyed. In the same way, the wealthy person will fade away as he goes about his business [affairs].

Make no mistake about this, my beloved brothers:

Every good gift and every perfect present is from heaven, and comes down from the Father of the heavenly lights, about whom there is no variation of changing shadow.

For the righteousness of God does not come about by the wrath of man.

so speak ye and so do, as about by a law of liberty to be judged,

Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

Believers, do not speak against or slander one another. He who speaks [self-righteously] against a brother or judges his brother [hypocritically], speaks against the Law and judges the Law. If you judge the Law, you are not a doer of the Law but a judge of it.

Come now, you who say, "To-day or to-morrow we are going to such and such a city; we shall spend a year there trading and making money" ??14 you who know nothing about to-morrow! For what is your life? You are but a mist, which appears for a little and then vanishes.

Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen in your life tomorrow. [What is secure in your life?] You are merely a vapor [like a puff of smoke or a wisp of steam from a cooking pot] that is visible for a little while and then vanishes [into thin air].

But you boast about your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil.

Go to now, you rich men! Weep aloud, howl for the miseries which are about to come upon you!

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.

Brothers, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!

Behold, we consider blessed those who have endured. You have heard about the patient endurance of Job, and you saw the outcome from the Lord, that the Lord is compassionate and merciful.