< James 2 >

1 My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.
My brethren, do not, with respect for persons, be holding the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory.
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 enter into your synagogue a man wearing gold rings in gay clothing, and there enter a destitute man also, in soiled 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 eye him that hath on the gay clothing, and say, Thou, be sitting here, pleasantly, —and, unto the destitute man, say—Thou, stand, or sit there under my footstool,
4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Would ye not have been led to make distinctions among yourselves, and have become judges with wicked reasonings?
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 brethren beloved: —Hath not, God, chosen the destitute in the world [to be] rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he hath 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?
Whereas, ye, have dishonoured the destitute man! Do not, the rich, oppress you? and, themselves, drag you into courts of justice?
7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name by which you have been called?
Do not, they, defame the noble name which hath been invoked upon you?
8 If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
If ye are, indeed, fulfilling, a royal law, according to the scripture—Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, nobly, are ye doing;
9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
But, if ye are shewing respect of persons, sin, are ye working, 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, a man who shall keep, the whole law, but shall stumble in one thing, hath become, for all things, liable, —
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 hath said—Do not commit adultery, hath also said—Do not commit murder, —now, if thou dost not commit adultery, but dost commit murder, thou hast become a transgressor of law.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.
So, be speaking, and, so, doing, as they who, through means of a law of freedom, are about to be judged;
13 For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
For, the judgment, [will be] without mercy, unto him that hath shewed no mercy: Mercy, boasteth, 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 profit, my brethren, —if one should be saying he hath, faith, but hath not, works; can his faith save him?
15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
If, a brother or sister, should be naked, and coming short 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 one from among you should say unto them—Withdraw in peace, be getting warmed and fed, but should not give them the things needful for the body, What the profit?
17 So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.
So, also, faith, if it have not works, is dead, 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 one will say, —Thou, hast faith, and, I, have works, show me thy faith apart from thy works, and, I, unto thee, will shew, by my works, 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—Even the demons believe, and shudder!
20 O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?
But art thou willing to learn, O empty man! that, faith, apart from works, is, idle?
21 Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
Abraham our father, was it not, by works, he was declared righteous—when he offered 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, his faith, had been working together with his works, and by his works did his faith become full-grown, —
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 to him as righteousness, and, God’s friend, was he called:
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 declared righteous, and not by faith alone.
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 also, Rahab the harlot, Was it not, by works, she was declared righteous, when she gave welcome unto the messengers, and, by another way, urged them forth?
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Just as, the body, apart from spirit, is dead, so, our faith also, apart from works, is dead.

< James 2 >