James 2
1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with respect of persons.
My brothers, do not hold to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with favoritism toward certain people.
2 For if there shall come into your assembly a man having a golden ring, in fine apparel, and there shall come in also a poor man in mean attire,
Suppose that someone enters your meeting wearing gold rings and fine clothes, and there also enters a poor man in dirty clothes.
3 And you have respect to him that is clothed with the fine apparel, and shall say to him: Sit thou here well; but say to the poor man: Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool:
If you look at the person wearing fine clothes and say, “You sit here in a good place,” but you say to the poor man, “You stand over there” or “Sit at my feet,”
4 Do you not judge within yourselves, and are become judges of unjust thoughts?
are you not judging among yourselves? Have you not become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Hearken, my dearest brethren: hath not God chosen the poor in this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him?
Listen, my beloved brothers, did not God choose the poor of the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?
6 But you have dishonoured the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you by might? and do not they draw you before the judgment seats?
But you have dishonored the poor! Is it not the rich who oppress you? Are they not the ones who drag you to court?
7 Do not they blaspheme the good name that is invoked upon you?
Do they not insult the good name by which you have been called?
8 If then you fulfill the royal law, according to the scriptures, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; you do well.
If, however, you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.
9 But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, being reproved by the law as transgressors.
But if you favor certain people, you are committing sin, and you are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
10 And whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all.
For whoever obeys the whole law, except that he stumbles in just a single way, has become guilty of breaking the whole law.
11 For he that said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not kill. Now if thou do not commit adultery, but shalt kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
For the one who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but if you do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 So speak ye, and so do, as being to be judged by the law of liberty.
So speak and act as those who will be judged by means of the law of freedom.
13 For judgment without mercy to him that hath not done mercy. And mercy exalteth itself above judgment.
For judgment comes without mercy to those who have shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
14 What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him?
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
15 And if a brother or sister be naked, and want daily food:
Suppose that a brother or sister is badly clothed and lacks food for the day.
16 And one of you say to them: Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; yet give them not those things that are necessary for the body, what shall it profit?
Suppose that one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm and be filled.” If you do not give them the things necessary for the body, what good is that?
17 So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself.
In the same way faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without works; and I will shew thee, by works, my faith.
Yet someone may say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.
You believe that there is one God; you do well. But even the demons believe that, and they tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Do you want to know, foolish man, that faith without works is useless?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, offering up Isaac his son upon the altar?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Seest thou, that faith did co-operate with his works; and by works faith was made perfect?
You see that faith worked with his works, and that by works his faith was fully developed.
23 And the scripture was fulfilled, saying: Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him to justice, and he was called the friend of God.
The scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.
24 Do you see that by works a man is justified; and not by faith only?
You see that it is by works that a man is justified, and not only by faith.
25 And in like manner also Rahab the harlot, was not she justified by works, receiving the messengers, and sending them out another way?
In the same way also, was not Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she welcomed the messengers and sent them away by another road?
26 For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also faith without works is dead.
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
