James 2
1 My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.
My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons.
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 there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing;
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 ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool;
4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
are ye not divided in your own mind, and become judges with evil 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?
Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world [to be] rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?
But ye have dishonoured the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats?
7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name by which you have been called?
Do not they blaspheme the honourable name by the which ye are called?
8 If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
Howbeit if ye fulfill the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
but if ye have respect of persons, ye 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 whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one [point], he is 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.
For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.
So speak ye, and so do, as men that are 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.
For judgment [is] without mercy to him that hath shewed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him?
15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
If a brother or sister be naked, and in lack of 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 one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.
Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in 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.
Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith apart from [thy] works, and I by my works will shew thee [my] faith.
19 You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and shudder.
20 O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren?
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, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did.
Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect;
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 saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God.
24 As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone.
Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.
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?
And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
