New Testament Plan

Journey through the 260 chapters of the New Testament over the next 90 days. From the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, all the way to the final book of Revelation.

Today, we are reading James 3, 4, 5.

James 3

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 show 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 entreated, 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.

James 4

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, Today or tomorrow 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 vapor, 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.

James 5

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 laborers 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; establish 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	Elijah 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.

King James Version (KJV)The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV). Public Domain.