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

It was God's purpose to bring us into being [spiritually] by the message of truth, so that we could become a kind of "firstfruits" of those He created. [Note: "Firstfruits" here suggests either that Christians are the best of all of God's creatures (Num. 18:12), or that they were the first to be converted, with many more to come].

And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

Stand thou there, or, Sit thou here under my footstool, Ye distinguish not in yourselves, but are become evil-reasoning judges.

From where come wars and fightings among you? come they not from here, even of your lusts that war in your members?

Or, do you think that the Scripture says [this] for nothing? [Note: No specific passage is here cited, but the idea occurs in several Old Testament passages]. "The Holy Spirit, whom God has made to live in us, longs jealously [for us to be faithful to God]."

Come now! ye that say - Today or To-morrow, we will journey unto this city here, and will spend there a year, and will trade and get gain, -

But here you are, boasting in your proud pretensions! All such boasting is wicked.

Look! The wages that you have [fraudulently] withheld from the laborers who have mowed your fields are crying out [against you for vengeance]; and the cries of the harvesters have come to the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

On the earth you have lived luxuriously and abandoned yourselves to soft living and led a life of wanton pleasure [self-indulgence, self-gratification]; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

let the same know, that he which converted the sinner from going astray out of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide the multitude of sins. {Here ends the General Epistle of James}