James 4

¹ But he yyueth the more grace; for which thing he seith, God withstondith proude men, but to meke men he yyueth grace. ² Therfor be ye suget to God; but withstonde ye the deuel, and he schal fle fro you. ³ Neiye ye to God, and he schal neiye to you. Ye synneris, clense ye hondis, and ye double in soule, purge ye the hertis. ⁴ Be ye wretchis, and weile ye; youre leiyyng be turned in to weping, and ioye in to sorewe of herte. ⁵ Be ye mekid in the siyt of the Lord, and he schal enhaunse you. ⁶ My britheren, nyle ye bacbite ech othere. He that bacbitith his brothir, ethir that demeth his brothir, bacbitith the lawe, and demeth the lawe. And if thou demest the lawe, thou art not a doere of the lawe, but a domesman. ⁷ But oon is makere of the lawe, and iuge, that may lese, and delyuere. ⁸ And who art thou, that demest thi neiybore? Lo! now ye, that seien, To dai ethir to morewe we schulen go in to thilke citee, and there we schulen dwelle a yeer, and we schulen make marchaundise, and we schulen make wynning; ⁹ whiche witen not, what is to you in the morewe. ¹⁰ For what is youre lijf? A smoke apperinge at a litil, and aftirward it schal be wastid. Therfor that ye seie, If the Lord wole, and if we liuen, we schulen do this thing, ether that thing. ¹¹ And now ye maken ful out ioye in youre pridis; euery siche ioye is wickyd. ¹² Therfor it is synne to hym, that kan do good, and doith not. ¹⁴ Do now, ye riche men, wepe ye, yellinge in youre wretchidnessis that schulen come to you. ¹⁵ Youre richessis ben rotun, and youre clothis ben etun of mouytis. ¹⁶ Youre gold and siluer hath rustid, and the rust of hem schal be to you in to witnessyng, and schal ete youre fleischis, as fier. Ye han tresourid to you wraththe in the last daies. ¹⁷ Lo! the hire of youre werke men, that repiden youre feeldis, which is fraudid of you, crieth; and the cry of hem hath entrid in to the eeris of the Lord of oostis.