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, in respect of persons, the faith of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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 may come into your synagogue a man with gold ring, in gay raiment, and there may come in also a poor man in vile raiment,
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 may look upon him bearing the gay raiment, and may say to him, 'Thou — sit thou here well,' and to the poor man may say, 'Thou — stand thou there, or, Sit thou here under my footstool,' —
4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
ye did not judge fully in yourselves, and did become ill-reasoning judges.
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, did not God choose the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the reign that He 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?
and ye did dishonour the poor one; do not the rich oppress you and themselves draw you to judgment-seats;
7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name by which you have been called?
do they not themselves speak evil of the good 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, indeed, royal law ye complete, according to the Writing, '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.
and if ye accept persons, sin ye do work, 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 the whole law shall keep, and shall stumble in one [point], he hath 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 who is saying, 'Thou mayest not commit adultery,' said also, 'Thou mayest do no murder;' and if thou shalt not commit adultery, and shalt 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 speak ye and so do, as about by a law of liberty 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 without kindness [is] to him not having done kindness, and exult doth kindness 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 profit, my brethren, if faith, any one may speak of having, and works he may not have? is that faith able to save him?
15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
and if a brother or sister may be naked, and may be 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 any one of you may say to them, 'Depart ye in peace, be warmed, and be filled,' and may not give to them the things needful for the body, what [is] the profit?
17 So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.
so also the faith, if it may not have 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 say may some one, Thou hast faith, and I have works, shew me thy faith out of thy works, and I will shew thee out of my works my faith:
19 You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
thou — thou dost believe that God is one; thou dost well, and the demons believe, and they shudder!
20 O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?
And dost thou wish to know, O vain man, that the faith apart from the works is dead?
21 Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
Abraham our father — was not he declared righteous out of works, having brought 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.
dost thou see that the faith was working with his works, and out of the works the faith was perfected?
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 fulfilled was the Writing that is saying, 'And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him — to righteousness;' and, 'Friend of God' he was called.
24 As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone.
Ye see, then, that out of works is man declared righteous, and not out of 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?
and in like manner also Rahab the harlot — was she not out of works declared righteous, having received the messengers, and by another way having sent forth?
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, so also the faith apart from the works is dead.
