because you [should] know that when your faith is tested, it produces perseverance.

And you [should] allow your perseverance to complete its work, so that you will be perfect and complete, [and] not lacking in anything.

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.

But he should ask in faith, without doubting, because the person who doubts [that he will receive wisdom] is like an ocean wave that is driven and tossed by the wind.

That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

The brother of humble circumstances should boast in his exaltation,

but the one who is rich should boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field.

No one who is being tempted should say, "I am being tempted by God," for God {cannot be tempted} by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

You must understand this, my dear brothers. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

Therefore, you should put away [from you] all moral filth and overflowing wickedness and humbly receive the word [of God], planted within you [by the Holy Spirit. See John 16:8], which is capable of saving your souls.

But you should not deceive yourselves by just listening [to God's word] instead of doing what the word teaches.

My brothers, ye should not have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory, in favoritism.

Suppose a man should enter your Synagogue, with gold rings and in grand clothes, and suppose a poor man should come in also, in shabby clothes,

if you should respectfully say to the suit of fine cloths, sit you there, that's for quality; and to the poor man, stand thou there, or place your self at my feet:

However, you are doing well if you fulfill [i.e., obey] the royal law found in the Scriptures [Lev. 19:18], "You should love your neighbor the same way that you love yourself."

he that said, "do not commit adultery," said too, "do not kill." though you should not commit adultery, yet if you kill, you are a transgressor of the law.

Speak and act [consistently] as people who are going to be judged by the law of liberty [that moral law that frees obedient Christians from the bondage of sin].

What profit, my brethren, - if one should be saying he hath, faith, but hath not, works; can his faith save him?

If, a brother or sister, should be naked, and coming short of the daily food,

and one of you should say to them, "Go in peace, keep warm and {eat well}," but does not give them what is necessary for the body, what [is] the benefit?

Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly].

Behold, we put bits into the horses' mouths that they should obey us, and we turn about all the body.

Behold also ships, being so great, and driven by hard winds, are led by the smallest rudder, wherever the desire of him steering should will.

Out of the same mouth goes forth blessing and cursing. It is not right, my brethren, that these things should be thus.

Who is wise and has understanding among you? He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom’s gentleness.

So, you should submit yourselves to God, but oppose the devil, and he will flee from you.

Be distressed and grieve and cry [over your sins]; your laughter should turn into grieving and your joy [should turn] into sorrow.

instead of your saying, If the Lord should so will and we should live, we will also do this or that.

Therefore be longsuffering, brethren, even to the arrival of the Lord. Behold, the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the earth, being longsuffering for it, even till he should receive the early and late rain.

[So], you people should be patient also; strengthen your hearts because the Lord's coming is near [Note: This may refer to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, or to Christ's final coming and judgment].

don't repine, my brethren, against one another, for fear you should be condemn'd. behold, the judge is at the gate.

But above everything else, my brothers, do not take oaths, not "by the heaven," nor "by the earth," nor by any other oath. But your "yes" should be [simply] "yes," and your "no," [simply] "no," so you do not fall under condemnation.

Is anyone among you suffering? He must pray. Is anyone joyful? He is to sing praises [to God].

Is anyone among you sick? He must call for the elders (spiritual leaders) of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;

And the prayer of faith shall save him being sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he should have wrought sins, it shall be remitted to him.

Elias was a man of like passions to us, and he prayed with prayer that it should not rain; and it did not rain upon the earth three years and six months;

My brothers, if anyone among you should wander away from the truth and someone turns him back,

he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from the error of his way will save that person's soul from death, and will cover over a great number of sins.