Why should I say more? My time will run out as I tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel and the prophets. By faith they overthrew kingdoms, did works of righteousness, won promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the force of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, grew strong out of weakness, proved mighty in battle, routed the lines of their opponents. Wives recovered their resurrected dead. But others were tortured, refusing release so as to win a greater resurrection; others again accepted the ordeal of mockery and whippings and even of chains and prison. They were stoned, tortured, sawn in two, slaughtered by the sword. They went about in the skins of sheep and goats, in want and affliction and abuse. The world was not worthy of them as they wandered in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.
Yet all of these, though proved through their faith, did not achieve the promise, since God for our sake contemplated something better: that they should not be perfected apart from us.
11 Let us also, therefore, surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses, putting aside every obstacle and the sin that easily besets us, with tenacity the course that lies before us, looking to the originator and perfecter of faith, Jesus; who, instead of the joy that lay ready before him, endured the cross, despising the shame of it, and has sat down to the right of the throne of God. Consider him who endured so great a rebellion by sinners against himself ; so that you may not falter, weakening in your spirits. You have not yet gone to the point of bloodshed in your struggle against sinfulness, and you have forgotten that appeal that speaks to you as sons: My son, do not think lightly of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when you are punished by him; for whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and he whips every son whom he acknowledges. Put up with discipline. God treats you as sons. Where is there a son whose father does not discipline him? If you go without the discipline which all are born to share, you are bastards, not sons.
Also, we had the fathers of our flesh to discipline us, and we have let them; should we not far rather submit to the father of our spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a few days, as it seemed right to them, but he does it for our good so that we can participate in his sanctity. All discipline, for the moment, seems to belong not with pleasure but with pain; but later, to those who have been through it, it yields a peaceful harvest of righteousness. So straighten up the slack arms and the tottering knees, and take straight steps with your feet, so that your lameness may not put you off, but rather be set right.
Seek to be at peace with all, and seek sanctification, without which no one will see the Lord; taking care that no one of you who lacks the grace of God, some root of bitterness pushing up among you, cause you trouble so that all are polluted by it; someone lewd or profane, like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. You know that afterward he wished to inherit the blessing but was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he begged for it in tears.
You have not come to the place that is felt, which bums with fire, to the gloom and darkness and storm and the clamor of the trumpet and voice speaking, which those who heard it begged not to have to hear it again; for they could not bear the co^^^dment: If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death. And so frightful was the apparition that Moses said: I am terrified and shaking.
But you have come to Mount Zion and the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, to myriads of angels, the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn whose n^es are written down in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and the souls of the just made perfect, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and his blood sprinkled which speaks louder than the blood of Abel. See to it that you do not ask not to hear him who speaks to you; for if those others who asked not to hear did not escape him who warned them on earth, even less shall we escape if we tum from him who speaks from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth; now he has given a promise, saying: One more time I will shake not only the earth but also heaven. The words: One more time, mean the abolition of the shaken things as things that had been made, so that what was not shaken may remain. So, taking over a kingdom unshaken, let us keep our gratitude and in it serve God with piety and fear so that he may be well pleased; for our God is a consuming fire.
Let brotherly love abide. Do not forget your hospitality, for through this some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember the prisoners as if you were in prison with them, the abused as if you were so in body. Honorable is maniage among all, and the undefiled bed, for God condemns lechers and adulterers. Let your living be without avarice, making do with what is on hand; for he himself said: I will never let you go, I will never forsake you. So that we can be confident and say: The Lord is my aid, I shall not fear. What can man do to me?
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you, and as you consider the end of their life, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by strange and complex teachings; it is good to strengthen the heart with grace, not foods, by which those who followed that way have not been helped. We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle are not allowed to eat. For the beasts whose blood is offered at the sanctuary for sin by the high priests, their bodies are b^ned outside the camp. Jesus, therefore, to sanctify the people by his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Let us therefore go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he bore, since we have no enduring city here but are looking for the one to come. For him let us offer a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the product of lips which confess to his name. And do not forget to do good, and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Obey your leaders and give way to them, for they go sleepless for the sake of your souls, since they will be accountable for them; so that they may do this with joy and not grieving, for that would be unprofitable for you.
Pray for us, for we believe that we have a good conscience, trying always to conduct ourselves well. And I ask you to do this all the more so that I may be restored to you the sooner. May the God of peace who brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the flock through the blood of the everlasting covenant, that is, our Lord Jesus, confirm you in all good for the doing of his will; working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
And I ask you, brothers, to be patient with my message of exhortation, for I have written to you in only a few words.
Know that our brother Timothy has been released, and if he arrives soon, I will see you in his company.
Give greeting to all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings. May grace be with you all.
The General Letter of James
11JAMES, SLAVE OF GOD AND THE LORD Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in their dispersion. Greetings.
Count it all as cause for joy, my brothers, when you are forced into various trials, knowing that the proved quality of your faith engenders fortitude; but let your fortitude have complete scope, so that you may be complete and blameless, lacking in nothing. But if any one of you does lack in wisdom, let him ask for it from God who gives to all simply and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask with faith and without any doubt, since one who doubts is like the sea waves blown and tossed; let such a one not suppose that a man who is of two minds and uncertain in all his ways will receive anything from the Lord.