You I choose, of all the world, alone;

Will you suffer me to sit in grief?

My heart is as a pen in your hand,

You are the cause if I am glad or melancholy.

Save what you will, what will have I?

Save what you show, what do I see?

You make grow out of me now a thorn and now a rose;

Now I smell roses and now pull thorns.

If you keep me that, that I am;

If you would have me this, I am this.

In the vessel where you give color to the soul

Who am I, what is my love and hate?

You were first, and last you shall be;

Make my last better than my first.

When you are hidden, I am of the infidels;

When you are manifest, I am of the faithful.

I have nothing, except you have bestowed it;

What do you seek from my bosom and sleeve?

पूरी दुनिया में मैंने तुम्हें ही चुना है

क्या तुम मुझे दुःख में छोड़ दोगे

मेरा दिल तेरे हाथ की कलम है

मैं खुश हूँ या उदास - कारण तुम हो

तुमने जो दिया उसके सिवा मेरे पास क्या है

तुमने जो दिखाया उसके सिवा मैंने क्या देखा

तुम्ही मुझमें कभी कांटा कभी फूल उगाते हो

कभी मुझमें गुलाब की खुशबू है तो कभी कांटे ही कांटे

तुम मुझे जैसा रखते हो वैसा ही हूँ

RUMI

Then said Jesus unto his disciples,
 If any man will come after me, 
let him deny himself, 
and take up his cross, 
and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: 
and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
For what is a man profited, 
if he shall gain the whole world,
 and lose his own soul? 
or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?


Christ

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, 
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;

for I am meek and lowly in heart:

and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.


Christ

And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,
Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
The sower soweth the word.
And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.
And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.
But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.  



9. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:


10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.                                      13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

When Uthman became caliph, he stepped up
into the pulpit. The people waited to see what he
would say. He was silent and said nothing. He
looked steadily at the people, and a state of ecstasy
descended upon them so that they were unable
to move, and could not tell where they were. Not
by a hundred preachings and sermons could such
an excellent state have been shown to them.
Precious lessons were imparted and secrets
revealed. Until the very end, he only looked at
them like this, not saying a word. Then, just
before leaving the pulpit, he said, “It is better for
you to have a working Imam than a speaking
Imam.”


What he said was the truth. If the purpose of
speaking is to communicate instruction delicately
to uplift the people, that had been accomplished
many times better without words. So what
Uthman said was perfectly correct. During the
time he was in the pulpit he did no external work
visible to the people; he did not pray, he did not
go on the pilgrimage, he did not give alms, he did
not commemorate God, he did not even speak the
caliph’s address. Therefore, know that work and
action are not limited to the outer form only,
rather these visible forms of work are merely a
shadow of that true work of Soul.
The Prophet said, “My Companions are like
stars; Whichever of them you follow, you will be
guided right.” When someone follows a star and
finds their way by it, the star does not speak.
Merely by looking at the star, they discover that
invisible road and reach their goal. In the same
way, it is possible by merely gazing at God’s saints
to find the spiritual path. Without words, without
questioning, without speech, the purpose is
achieved.






Rumi

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

In times of distress everyone calls for help; in

times of toothache, and earache, in doubt, fear

and insecurity. In secret everyone calls out hoping

that One will hear and grant their requests.

Privately, secretly, people perform good deeds to

ward off weakness and restore their strength,

trusting that Life will accept their gifts and

efforts. When they are restored to health and

peace of mind, then suddenly their faith leaves,

and the phantom of anxiety soon returns.

“O God,” they cry again, “we were in such a

terrible state when, with all sincerity, we called

upon you from our prison corner. For a hundred

prayers you granted our requests. Now, freed of

the prison, we are still as much in need. Bring us

out of this world of darkness into that world of

the prophets, the world of light. Why can freedom

not come without prisons and pain? A thousand

desires fill us, both good and deceitful, and the

conflict of these phantoms brings a thousand tortures

that leave us weary. Where is that sure faith

that burns up all phantoms?”

God answers, “The seeker of pleasure in you is

your enemy and My enemy.

‘Do not take your enemy and My enemy for a friend.’When your pleasure-seeking self is imprisoned,

filled with trouble and pain, then your freedom

arrives and gathers strength. A thousand times

you have proved that freedom comes to you out

of toothache, headache and fear. Why then are

you chained to bodily comfort? Why are you

always occupied with tending the flesh? Do not

forget the end of that thread: unravel those bodily

passions till you have attained your eternal passion,

and find freedom from the prison of darkness.”

RUMI

Cheerfulness

Jesus laughed a lot. John wept a lot. John said
to Jesus, “You have become exceedingly carefree
against all the subtle deceits, that you laugh so
much.” Jesus replied, “You have become exceedingly
unmindful of the subtle, mysterious, wonderful
graces and loving kindness of God, that
you weep so much.” One of God’s saints was present
at this incident. He asked God, “Which of
these two has the higher station?” God answered,
“He who thinks better of Me.” In other words, “I
come when you think of Me. Each person has an
image and an idea of Me. Whatever picture he
forms of Me, there I am. I fill that picture where
God dwells. I care nothing for that point of view
where God does not exist. Cleanse your thoughts,
O human, for they are My abode and dwelling
place.”


RUMI

There is one thing in this world
that must never be forgotten.

If you were to forget
all else, but did not forget that, then you
would have no reason to worry.

But if you performed
and remembered everything else, yet forgot
that one thing, then you would have done
nothing whatsoever.
It is just as if a king sent you to the country to
carry out a specific task.

If you go and accomplish
a hundred other tasks, but do not perform that
particular task, then it is as though you performed
nothing at all.

So, everyone comes into this world
for a particular task, and that is their purpose.

If they do not perform it, then they will have done
nothing.
All things are assigned a task.

The heavens
send rain and light for the herbs of the field to germinate
and spring into life.

The earth receives the seeds and bears fruit, it accepts and reveals a hundred
thousand marvels too numerous to tell.

The mountains give forth mines of gold and silver.

All these things the heavens, the earth and the mountains
do, yet they do not perform that one thing;
that particular task is performed by us.
“We offered the Trust to the heavens,
The earth and the mountains,
They refused to carry it and were afraid of it,
But humans carried it.
Surely they are foolish and sinful.”
So, people are given a task, and when they perform
it all their sinfulness and foolishness is dissolved.
You say, “Look at all the work I do accomplish,
even if I do not perform that task.”

You weren’t created for those other tasks!

It is just as if you were given a sword of priceless Indian steel,
such as can only be found in the treasuries of
kings, and you were to treat it as a butcher’s knife
for cutting up putrid meat, saying, “I am not letting
this sword stand idle, I am using it in so many
useful ways.”

Or it is like taking a solid gold bowl
to cook turnips in, when a single grain of that
gold could buy a hundred pots.

Or it is as if you took a Damascene dagger of the finest temper to
hang a broken gourd from, saying, “I am making
good use of it. I am hanging a gourd on it. I am
not letting this dagger go to waste.”

How foolish that would be!

The gourd can hang perfectly well
from a wooden or iron nail whose value is a mere
farthing, so why use a dagger valued at a hundred
pounds?
A poet once said:
You are more precious than heaven and earth.
What more can I say?
You do not know your own worth.
God says, “I will buy you...your moments,
your breaths, your possessions, your lives. Spend
them on Me. Turn them over to Me, and their
price is divine freedom, grace and wisdom. This is
your worth in My eyes.”

But if we keep our life
for ourself, then we lose what treasures we have
been granted.

Like the person who hammered the
dagger, worth a hundred pounds into the wall to
hang a gourd upon, their great fortune was
reduced to a nail.
For Soul there is other food besides this food of
sleeping and eating, but you have forgotten that
other food.

Night and day you nourish only your
body.

Now, this body is like a horse, and this lower world is its stable.

The food the horse eats
is not the food of the rider.

You are the rider and
have your own sleeping and eating, your own
enjoyment.

But since the animal has the upper
hand, you lag behind in the horse’s stable.

You
cannot be found among the ranks of kings and
princes in the eternal world.

Your heart is there,
but since your body has the upper hand, you are
subject to its rule and remain its prisoner.
When Majnun, as the story goes, was making
for his beloved Laila’s home, as long as he was
fully conscious he drove his camel in that direction.
But when for a moment he became absorbed
in the thought of Laila and forgot his camel, the
camel turned in its tracks toward the village
where its foal was kept.

On coming to his senses,
Majnun found that he had gone back a distance
of two day’s journey.

For three months he continued
this way, coming no closer to his goal.

Finally
he jumped off the camel, saying, “This camel is
the ruin of me!” and continued on foot, singing:
My camel’s desire is now behind,
My own desire is before.
Our purposes were crossed,

Rumi

Discrimination is a quality that is always hidden
in a person.
Don’t you see that an insane person
possesses hands and feet but lacks discrimination?
Discrimination is a subtle essence within
you.
Yet, day and night you have been occupied
with nurturing the physical form that does not
know right from wrong.
Why have you devoted
all your energies to looking after the physical,
entirely neglecting that subtle essence?
The physical
exists through that essence, but that essence in
no way depends on the physical.


The light that shines through the windows of
the eyes and ears—if those windows did not exist,
the light would not stop.
It would find other windows to shine through.
If you bring a lamp before
the sun, do you say, “I see the sun by means of
this lamp”? God forbid!
If you did not bring the
lamp, the sun would still shine.
What need is there for a lamp?
This is the danger in associating with kings.
It is not that you may lose your life—we must lose
our life in the end anyway, whether today or
tomorrow does not matter.
The danger arises from the fact that when kings enter upon the
scene, and the spell of their influence gains
strength, becoming like a great lamp, the person
who keeps company with them, claims their
friendship, and accepts money from them will
inevitably speak in accordance with their desires.
That person will listen to the kings’ mundane
views with the utmost attention, and will not be
able to deny them.
That is where the danger lies, it leads to a fading
respect for the true source.
When you cultivate
the interest of kings, that other interest which
is fundamental to the spiritual life becomes a
stranger to you.
The more you proceed down the
path of kings, the more that direction where the
Beloved dwells becomes lost.
The more you make
your peace with worldly people, the more the
Beloved turns away from you.
Going in their
direction renders you subject to their rule.
Once you have turned down their path, in the end God
gives them power over you.


It is a pity to reach the ocean, and to be satisfied
with a little pitcherful from the sea.


After all,
there are pearls in the sea, and from the sea come
a myriad of precious things.
What is the value in
just taking water?
What pride can intelligent people
have in that?
This world is a mere foam fleck
of the True Sea.
That Ocean is the science of the
saints, and within that Water is the Pearl Itself.
This world is but foam full of floating jetsam.
Yet, through the turning of the waves, and the
rhythmic surging of the sea in constant motion,
this foam takes on a certain beauty.
But this beauty
is a borrowed thing coming from elsewhere.
It is a false coin that sparkles to the eye.
People are the astrolabe of God, but it requires
an astronomer to use the astrolabe.
If a vegetableseller
or a greengrocer should find the astrolabe,
what good would it do them?
From that astrolabe, what could they know of the movements of
the circling stars and the positions of the planets,
their influences and so forth?
But in the hands of
the astronomer, the astrolabe becomes truly valuable.
Just as this copper astrolabe reflects the movements
of the heavens like a mirror, so the human
being is the astrolabe of God.
“We have honored the children of Adam.”
Those who have been moved by God to see the
one reality and learn Its ways through the astrolabe
of their own being, behold moment by
moment, flash by flash, the testament of God.
Indeed, it is an infinite beauty that never leaves
their mirror.
God has servants who cloak themselves in a
wisdom, knowingness and grace invisible to others.
Out of their excessive jealousy and love for
God these servants cloak themselves, just like
Mutanabbi says of beautiful women:
Figured silks they wore, not to beautify
But to guard their beauty from lustful eyes.

Rumi

Companionship With The Saints

The sword [of spiritual protection] is in the armory of the saints;

For you, meeting them is the alchemical elixir.

All of the wise ones have said this same thing: the wise man is "a mercy to all the worlds."

If you buy a pomegranate, buy it laughing (and open-mouthed) so that its laughing may give information about (the state of its) seeds.

Oh (how) blessed is its laughter, since it is showing (its) heart by means of (its) mouth, like the pearl [of the soul] from the (open) box of the spirit.

The laughter of the tulip was not blessed, since the blackness of (its) heart was revealed by its mouth.

The laughing pomegranate makes the (entire) garden laughing; (likewise,) companionship with (spiritual) men makes you (one) of (such) men.

Even if you are a hard rock or marble, if you come to (the presence of) a lord of the heart, you will become a jewel.

Put love for the pure ones into the midst of (your) spirit.

Don't give (your) heart (to anyone) except in love for those (who have) joyous hearts.

Don't go (into) the lane of hopelessness, (for) there are (still) hopes.

(And) don't go (in) the direction of darkness, (for) there are (still) suns [to rise].

The heart draws you into the lane of the people of heart, the body draws you into the prison of water and clay.

Take care, (and) give food for (your) heart from [the company of] a sympathetic friend.

Go (and) seek coming near [to the goal] from one who is advancing first."

Rumi

Letter of James

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
3 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:
4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 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.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.