The Destruction of Rome

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

People ought to get some of the word of God every day.  We feed our bodies, we should feed our spirits.  Thus advised Smith Wigglesworth, an important Man of God of the previous century.  

When I was a teenager, an older Christian brother at my church, who later became a missionary, advised me to read at least a chapter a day in the Bible.  

I thought that was good advice and have tried to follow it.  

But lately, rather than opening and reading the Bible, I prefer to listen to it being read.

You can get compact disks (CD's) of someone reading the Bible from Christian Book Distributors, Peabody, MA, and they have an Internet Website.  

And other Christian book stores also have that.  

Narrator, Alexander Scourby, has a nice voice.  

There is also an audio book available from Audiobooks.com of me reading aloud the New Testament, Hoehn Version for download to your MP3 player or IPOD.  

Seems like the literature said that my cell phone, a Tracfone made by LG, will also work as an MP3 player.

But if you're going to buy an MP3 player, I suggest don't get one made by Eclipse.  I found them to be unsatisfactory.  

This audio book from Audiobooks.com was done in two sections.  Vol 1 is Matt thru Romans.  Vol 2 is 1 Cor thru Revelation.  

Or, they also have available the whole New Testament, Hoehn Version without a volume number.  The cover has blue flowers.  Listening time:  19 hours, 22 minutes.    

Just this morning, I was listening to the book of Revelation being read.  It was talking about the destruction of Rome, Italy.

The name, "Rome," however, is not mentioned.  Instead of "Rome," the name, "Babylon," is used.   

There was a Babylon in what is now Iraq, but that is a different Babylon from Rome.  

That Babylon has also been destroyed, and will never be rebuilt, says the Prophet Isaiah. (Isa chapt 13)

Note that in the King James New Testament, Isaiah is referred to as Esaias.     

Babylon is mentioned in the book of Revelation starting in chapter 14, chapter 16, and through chapter 18.  

In the book of Revelation, God shows John, the Beloved, things that will happen in the future.  And I expect the not very distant future, with all of the increasing turmoil in the world.  

Jesus spoke of signs in the heavens that would happen in the last days.  Just yesterday, there was a major news story about the biggest storm ever seen that may kill a lot of people starting in Mexico.  

The Mexicans were trying to evacuate a major city there in anticipation of the storm.  

And we've had earthquakes and tsunamis.  

A tsunami several years ago shut down the Fukushima nuclear power generation plant in Japan.  

Polar ice is melting, causing a rising sea level that will submerge islands.  

Glaciers the size of a small U.S. state are breaking off of ice packs.  

A storm at sea caused a ship to be lost recently near the Bahamas.  

Notice in Rev 16:19, God sends his wrath against Babylon (Rome).

 18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and there was a great earthquake, such as has never been since men were on the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
 19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give to her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his anger. (Rev 16:18,19)

There’s another example of representing a city by a different name in Revelation 11:8,   “And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, that spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.”

And where was our Lord crucified?  In Jerusalem.  So we see Jerusalem being referred to as Sodom and Egypt, just as Rome is referred to as Babylon, later in the book of Revelation.  

Some of the things we'll talk about in this book were also mentioned in my previous book, "Isaiah on Babylon."  

When we come to Rev chapt 17:1, an angel tells us about the judgment of Babylon, "the great whore that sits on many waters."

This "great whore" is a city that sits on seven hills.  

The only major city in the world, that I’m aware of, that sits on seven hills, is Rome.  

I think there was even a movie made that was titled, "The Seven Hills of Rome."  

And what else do we know about Rome?  It is the headquarters of the Catholic church.  (At Vatican City, adjacent to Rome).    

What is now Vatican City was part of Rome, and then was partitioned off.  They had their reasons for doing that, but essentially, it's still Rome.  

If you contact your Travel Agent and tell them to get you a ticket for Vatican City, they'll get you a ticket to Rome.  Once you're in Rome, a taxi can take you to Vatican City, although I can't think of a good reason to go there.  

Are you going to convert the Pope?  

I don't think so.  I believe the Pope is already a Heb chapt 6 kind of person, who can't be renewed again to repentance, in case he was ever a born again Christian to begin with.   

So, evidently, the great whore that sits on the waters (and the waters represent people), which is also Babylon, is the Catholic church.  

But David Wilkerson wrote a book.  I think it’s in his book, “The Vision,” where he predicts the merging of the Catholic church with some of the Protestants.  Perhaps this will happen prior to the fall of Babylon, as foretold in the book of Revelation.  

In that case, the Babylon of Revelation could be this united church of Catholics and Protestants that Wilkerson predicted.  

If you happen to be alive when that merging takes place, don’t be a part of that false church.  

But in what sense is the Catholic church a whore?

When we lived in Houston, TX, my wife and I broke bread with Charles and Elizabeth Melton, who had come out of the Catholic church.  

We met them at Lakewood Church in Houston, a Protestant church.  

The Meltons said that when they were Catholics, they were not taught that "You MUST be born again," like Jesus said in John chapt 3.

But rather, they were taught that you would go to heaven if you were a good Catholic.

I guess that means lighting a candle when you're supposed to, and putting something into the offering when you're supposed to, etc.  

Thus, the Catholic church is a whore in that it provides a false salvation based on works without getting born again as Jesus taught was necessary.  

But when Jesus says that getting born again is necessary, then there is no substitute for getting born again. (John chapt 3)  

 16:21  And a great hail fell on men out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent, and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for the plague of it was very severe.

___Revelation chapter 17
 1 And one of the seven angels came, who had the seven bottles, and talked with me, saying to me, "Come here, I'll show you the judgment of the great whore that sits on many waters,
 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication."
 3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness, and I saw a woman sit on a red beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and red, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication,
 5 And on her forehead was a name written, "Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Whores and Abominations of the Earth,"
 6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
 7 And the angel said to me, "Why were you impressed?  I'll tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, that has the seven heads and ten horns.
 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into hell, and those who live on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
 9 And here is the mind that has wisdom.  The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits.
 10 And there are seven kings, five have fallen, and one is, and the other hasn't yet come, and when he comes, he must continue a short time.
 11 And the beast that was, and is not, he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into hell.
 12 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings, who've received no kingdom yet, but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength to the beast.
 14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and those who are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful."
 15 And he said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the whore sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and languages.
 16 And the ten horns that you saw on the beast, shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
 17 For God has put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
 18 And the woman that you saw is that great city, that rules over the kings of the earth."

___Revelation chapter 18
 1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.
 2 And he shouted mightily with a strong voice, "Babylon the great has fallen, has fallen, and has become the dwelling place of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
 3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich through the abundance of her delicacies."
 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, "Come out of her, my people, so that you're not partakers of her sins, and so you're not a victim of her plagues.
 5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her sins.
 6 Reward her as she rewarded you, and double to her double according to her works, in the cup that she has filled, fill to her double.
 7 As much as she has glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her, for she says in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and will see no sorrow.
 8 Therefore her plagues shall come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine, and she shall be completely burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.
 9 And the kings of the earth, who've committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning,
 10 Standing far off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city!  For in one hour your judgment has come.
 11 And the merchants of the earth shall cry and mourn over her, for no man buys their merchandise anymore,
 12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and red cloth, and all thyine wood, and all kinds of containers of ivory, and all kinds of containers of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
 13 And cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and animals, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
 14 And the fruits that your soul lusted for have departed from you, and all things that were dainty and good have departed from you, and you'll find them no more at all.
 15 The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, shall stand far off for the fear of her torment, crying and wailing,
 16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and red cloth, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
 17 For in one hour such great riches has come to nothing.  And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood far off,
 18 And when they saw the smoke of her burning, shouted, What city is like this great city!
 19 And they threw dust on their heads, and shouted, crying and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, in which all that had ships in the sea were made rich because of her costliness!  For in one hour she's made desolate.
 20 Rejoice over her, you heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you against her."
 21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
 22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of flutists, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in you, and no craftsman, of whatever craft he is, shall be found anymore in you, and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in you,
 23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in you, and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in you, for your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorceries all nations were deceived.
 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were killed on the earth."

Chapter 2

Notice in Rev 17:2, 
"With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication."

Now can we think of an example of that?

The Pope recently came to the U.S., and was given a royal welcome by the President at the White House.  

He was treated like a king.  

Why would the President do that for the Pope?

Well, it's the "politically correct" thing to do.  

The Pope has a constituency--all the Catholics of the world.  

The President is not running for reelection, but his Party is.  

It would be good to remember, at this point, that the "politically correct" thing to do is not always the right thing to do.  

To hob nob with the Pope tends to lend legitimacy to the Pope and to his wrong religion, where they pray to Mary, in violation of one of God's Ten Commandments, "You shall have no other Gods before me." (Exo chapt 20)

Someone might ask, "But how is that fornication?"

It is fornication because the truth has been polluted and corrupted.

There's a scripture that talks about the truth having fallen in the street. (Isa 59:14)  

Please look again at what I said above about in what sense is the Catholic church a whore?

It is fornication in the sense that the Catholic church provides a false salvation, quite different from Jesus' salvation of getting born again.  

The Catholic church, of course, has a prayer called, “The Rosary.”  A prayer addressed to Mary.  The Rosary is prayed using prayer beads.  

The person says the prayer, then moves a bead over, then prays the Rosary again for as many prayer beads as there are.  

Seems like the Muslims also use prayer beads.  

But Jesus said, “When you pray, don’t use vain repetition like the heathen do, for they think that they’ll be heard for their much speaking.” (Matt 6:7)  

Why would you use vain repetition, when Jesus said not to do so?  

And there is no scripture authorizing anyone to pray to Mary.  No one in the Bible ever prayed to Mary.  Not Peter, not Paul, not John the Beloved.    

To pray to Mary is to commit the sin of idolatry.  You would be treating Mary as though she is part of God, AND SHE IS NOT.  

(Please see my book, "Is Mary the Mother of God?")

I believe that if you pray to Mary, she can't hear you.  

When I lived in the Chicago area, I had a Catholic neighbor.

I said to that Catholic man that even if Mary could hear his prayer to her, she can't do anything for him.

He answered like, "Oh, well she could go to God with my petition."

No, even on earth, mothers of kings don't have 24 hour, 7 days a week access to those kings.

I expect that Mary accepted Jesus as Savior, and became a born again Christian, and went to heaven.  

But in heaven, Mary, no doubt, doesn't have 24/7 access to God.  

In one of his visions, Kenneth E. Hagin saw a woman in heaven that had been his acquaintance on Earth.  She said to Hagin, "I've seen Jesus."

But how long had she been in heaven before she met with Jesus?

Just the fact that she mentioned that she had seen Jesus suggests that it's not an every day occurrence for the average person in heaven.  

Nor are those the only things wrong with the Catholic church.  I don't know whether they still do, but they have taught the existence of a place called Purgatory.  

It's supposed to be a third alternative to heaven and hell, where if you didn't qualify to go to heaven when you died, then in Purgatory you could somehow work it out to later go to heaven.  

BUT THAT'S A LIE.  

In Heb 9:27, we read, "And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment..."

Everyone, when they die, goes to one of two places:  to Heaven, if they were born again Christians, or to Hell, if they were not.  

No, you have to get straight with God during this life.  You don't get another chance after you die.  

And Jesus said that most people go to hell.
(Matt 7:13,14)--

 13 Enter in at the restricted gate, because wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and there are many that go in there,
 14 Because the gate is restricted, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

When you die, it's only your body that dies.  Then the inner man is carried up to heaven by the angels if he was a Christian, or goes down to hell if not.  

Read what Jesus said about the rich man and Lazarus--

 19 There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and feasted every day.
 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who laid at his gate, full of sores,
 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table, also the dogs came and licked his sores.
 22 And the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom, the rich man also died, and was buried.
 23 And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being tormented, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
 24 And he shouted, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, so he can dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in these flames.
 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that in your lifetime, you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted, and you're tormented.
 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a large gulf fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you can't, nor can they pass to us that want to come from there.
 27 Then he said, Please, therefore, father, send him to my father's house,
 28 For I have five brothers, so that he'll testify to them, so they won't also come into this place of torment.
 29 Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.
 30 And he said, No, father Abraham.  But if someone went back to them from the dead, they'll repent.
 31 And he said to him, If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't be persuaded, even if someone rose from the dead." (from Luke chapt 16)

But what about the Jews?

The Jews can become born again Christians, in which case, they are called Fulfilled Jews, or Messianic Jews, because they've embraced their prophesied Messiah (Savior), the Lord Jesus Christ.    

We read about the Priests of the Old Testament.  Those Priests got married and had children.  

Why then would the Catholic church make the insane rule that priests can't marry, and must take an oath of celibacy?  

Does this not contribute to the epidemic of Pedophile priests, who molest children?   

And would that problem not greatly diminish if the Catholic church had enough wisdom to require their priests to have normal marriages?

Which is more normal, to be single, or to be married?    

After God created Adam, God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone."  So God created a wife for Adam.  Marriage between a man and a woman is the normal thing. (book of Genesis)

The Pope, when he was in the U.S. recently, addressed a joint session of Congress.  

He was invited to do so by Speaker of the House, John Boehner.  

Not long after the Pope addressed Congress, it was announced that Boehner will soon no longer be Speaker of the House.  

I believe it was very much wrong for Boehner to invite the Pope to speak to Congress.  

In his address to Congress, the Pope asked that Congress do away with the death penalty.

Wasn't that so gracious of the Pope to show his concern for the plight of murderers?  ABSOLUTELY NOT.  It was wickedness.  

What about the plight of the families of those murdered?

And what about the words of God in the book of Numbers, chapter 35:33,34--

 33 "So you shall not pollute the land in which you are, for blood defiles the land, and the land can't be cleansed from the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of him that shed it.
 34 Therefore don't defile the land that you'll inhabit, in which I live, for I the Lord live among the children of Israel."

So God requires murderers to be executed.  

Thus, the Pope has set himself in direct opposition to God, who says that murderers must be executed.  

What will happen, then, to this Pope, who has set himself in direct opposition to God?  God will surely bring him down, and I expect this Pope to go to hell.  

Of course, it is popular in Europe at this time not to execute murderers.  Thus Europe is becoming increasingly defiled, polluted, made dirty by their not executing murderers.

It appears that not only can the Pope not read, but also much of Europe.  What a pity when people think they have a better idea than God.

But it is God that has the better idea, and it is God that will judge them on the coming Judgment Day.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." (Psa 111:10)

But the Pope is lacking in wisdom because he doesn't have enough fear of the Lord to not oppose the teachings of the Bible.  

That same passage of Heb 9:27 also exposes the lie of reincarnation.

Reincarnation says that after dying, you might come back as an animal.

And that's why hungry people in India can't kill and eat a cow, because it might be the reincarnation of their grandmother.

No it's not.  There's no reincarnation.  Heb 9:27 says we only die once.

Jesus spoke of  "Distress of nations with perplexity." (Luke 21:25)  

The world seems to be rushing toward Armageddon. (Rev 16:16)

And the world seems to be rushing toward the seven years of Great Tribulation in which there will be one world ruler, an evil man mentioned in the book of the Prophet Daniel as "The Beast," but also spoken of in the New Testament as "The Antichrist."

During the Great Tribulation, the people of Earth will be required to take "The Mark of the Beast."  It is taken in the hand, or in the forehead. (Rev chapt 13)  

But don't take the mark of the beast, because then you'll be damned, and can't go to heaven, but will rather go to hell.  

But those who don't take the Mark of the Beast won't be allowed to buy or sell.  

Winter is approaching, and I needed a new warm coat.  The other one was about worn out.  

So I went to the super store and bought a warm winter coat.

But what if when you get up to the cash register to buy your warm winter coat and your groceries, they want to check your Mark of the Beast?

You can't buy or sell without the Mark of the Beast, but if you take the Mark of the Beast, you're damned to hell.  

But, as a Christian, I don't expect to be around for the Great Tribulation.

Pastor John Osteen spoke of "pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib" believers.  He was talking about whether you believe that the Rapture would happen before, during, or after the Great Tribulation.

The Rapture is a term that Christians use to mean the catching away of the Christians from Earth, as revealed in 1 Thess chapt 4.--

 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first,
 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we always be with the Lord.
 18 So, comfort each other with these words.

I am definitely a pre-trib believer.  In 1 Thess 5:9, we read--

"For God has not appointed us to wrath..."

Those terrible things that will happen on Earth during the Great Tribulation are the wrath of God being poured out on Earth, and God has not appointed me to wrath.

A recent guest on the Charlie Rose TV show said that the most significant problem in the Middle East is the Israeli-Palestinian problem, and that if you solve the Israeli-Palestinian problem, you've solved the problems of the Middle East.

But that statement is very much incorrect.

If you solved that problem, you would still have in the room the big elephant of ISIS or ISIL, also called Daish, the militant Muslim people, who would like to take over not just the Middle East, but the whole world.  

And who think that if you won't convert to Islam, you should be killed.   

But ISIS can be placated if all the world converts to the Muslims' religion, Islam.

But why should I give up Jesus, and going to heaven, for a false religion like Islam that sends its followers to hell?

I, also, would like the whole world to be Christian.  But we Christians don't kill people who won't convert to Christianity, because Jesus wouldn't want us to do that.  

No, we try to make converts through persuasion, asking God to help us get people to heaven.  

The Muslims say that Muhammad is their prophet.  

But Muhammad is the same kind of prophet as that other fellow, Joseph Smith.  

Both men are false prophets who founded false religions.  

God didn't raise up either Muhammad or Joseph Smith to be prophets.  They presumptuously took it upon themselves to be prophets.  

And it may have helped them personally to be more comfortable during their lives on earth, but then, both men died and went to hell, where their worms don't die, and where the fire is never quenched, where there's crying and gnashing of teeth (says Jesus).  

If God doesn't make you a Prophet, then you're not a Prophet.  No one can legitimately appoint himself to be a prophet.  

Another very serious problem in the Middle East is the war in Syria, where the dictator there is killing his people by the thousands.

As a result, people are fleeing Syria by the tens of thousands and going to Turkey or Europe.

This has caused a migrant crisis in European nations, that are having trouble coping with the huge influx of migrants.  

The problem is aggravated by the fact that these Migrants are mostly Muslims, and who knows what percentage of them will become militant Muslims and terrorists, and perhaps suicide bombers to the nations that have shown them hospitality?

Jesus said, "You MUST be born again." (John chapt 3)

To become a born again Christian, obey Romans 10:9,10--
"That if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you're saved.  For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation."

___James chapter 1
 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.
 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,
 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.
 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.
 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from 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'll pass away.
 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,
 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.
 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.
 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.
 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.
 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,
 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, 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 seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.
 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2
 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,
 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"
 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?
 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?
 6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?
 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?
 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,
 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.
 10 For whoever 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," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.
 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.
 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.
 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?
 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,
 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?
 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.
 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."
 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.
 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?
 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?
 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."
 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3
 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.
 2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.
 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.
 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!
 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.
 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,
 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.
 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.
 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?
 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.
 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.
 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.
 15 This wisdom doesn't descend 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 reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4
 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?
 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.
 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.
 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.
 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"
 6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.
 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.
 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.
 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.
 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?
 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"
 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.
 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."
 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.
 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5
 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.
 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.
 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.
 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.
 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.
 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.
 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.
 8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.
 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.
 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
 11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've 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 brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.
 13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.
 14 Is anyone 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 has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.
 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.
 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.
 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,
 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.