James 2
1 My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.
My brothers, stop holding the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Glory, with partiality!
2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.
For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothes, should enter your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy rags should also enter,
3 If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,”
and you pay special attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit in this special seat,” but to the poor one you say, “You stand there,” or “Sit here at my footstool,”
4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
have you not been separated among yourselves and become judges with malignant thoughts?
5 Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
Listen, my beloved brothers. Has not God chosen the poor of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to those loving Him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?
But you dishonored the poor one. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into courts?
7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name by which you have been called?
Do they not blaspheme the noble name that was called upon you?
8 If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;
9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
but if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
For whoever will keep the whole law, yet stumble in one point, has become guilty of all.
11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
Because He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.
Speak and act as being those who are about to be judged by a law of liberty
13 For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
(the judgment will be without mercy to the one not showing mercy). That law exalts mercy over judgment.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
What is the advantage, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? That faith cannot save him, can it?
15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
If a brother or sister is actually naked, and is destitute of the daily food,
16 If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that?
and someone among you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you (pl) do not give them the things needed for the body, what is the benefit?
17 So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.
Thus also that faith, if it does not have works, is dead, being by itself.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
(But someone will say: “You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith by your works and I, by my works will show you my faith [what he believes].”
19 You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder!)
20 O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?
But you need to know, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is dead!
21 Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22 You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did.
You can see that faith was acting together with his works, and the faith was made complete by the works.
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.
And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “So Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called ‘friend of God’.
24 As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone.
You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies and sent them off on another route?
Similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different way?
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
For just as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
