James 2
1 My friends, as trusting believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, you must not show favoritism.
我的弟兄们，你们信奉我们荣耀的主耶稣基督，便不可按着外貌待人。
2 Imagine that a man comes into your synagogue wearing gold rings and fine clothes, and then a poor man comes in dressed in rags.
若有一个人带着金戒指，穿着华美衣服，进你们的会堂去；又有一个穷人穿着肮脏衣服也进去；
3 If you pay special attention to the well-dressed man, and say, “Please sit here in a seat of honor,” while you say to the poor man, “Stand over there, or sit on the floor by my feet,”
你们就重看那穿华美衣服的人，说：“请坐在这好位上”；又对那穷人说：“你站在那里”，或“坐在我脚凳下边。”
4 haven't you discriminated and judged with bad motives?
这岂不是你们偏心待人，用恶意断定人吗？
5 Listen, my dear friends: Didn't God choose those who the world considers poor to be rich in their trust in him, and to inherit the kingdom he promised to those who love him?
我亲爱的弟兄们，请听， 神岂不是拣选了世上的贫穷人，叫他们在信上富足，并承受他所应许给那些爱他之人的国吗？
6 But you've treated the poor shamefully. Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you before the courts?
你们反倒羞辱贫穷人。那富足人岂不是欺压你们、拉你们到公堂去吗？
7 Don't they insult the honorable name of the one who called you and to whom you belong?
他们不是亵渎你们所敬奉的尊名吗？
8 If you really observe the royal law of Scripture: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” then you do well.
经上记着说：“要爱人如己。”你们若全守这至尊的律法才是好的。
9 But if you show favoritism, you're sinning. The law convicts you as guilty of breaking it.
但你们若按外貌待人，便是犯罪，被律法定为犯法的。
10 Someone who observes everything in the law but fails in just one part is guilty of breaking it all.
因为凡遵守全律法的，只在一条上跌倒，他就是犯了众条。
11 God told you not to commit adultery, and he also told you not to kill. So if you don't commit adultery, but you do kill, you've become a law-breaker.
原来那说“不可奸淫”的，也说“不可杀人”；你就是不奸淫，却杀人，仍是成了犯律法的。
12 You should speak and act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom.
你们既然要按使人自由的律法受审判，就该照这律法说话行事。
13 Anyone who doesn't show mercy will be judged without mercy. Yet mercy wins out over judgment!
因为那不怜悯人的，也要受无怜悯的审判；怜悯原是向审判夸胜。
14 My friends, what's the good of someone saying they trust in God when they don't do what's good and right? Can such “trust” save them?
我的弟兄们，若有人说自己有信心，却没有行为，有什么益处呢？这信心能救他吗？
15 If a brother or sister doesn't have clothes, or food for the day,
若是弟兄或是姊妹，赤身露体，又缺了日用的饮食；
16 and you say to them, “Blessings on you! Stay warm and have a good meal!” and you don't provide what they need to survive, what's the good of that?
你们中间有人对他们说：“平平安安地去吧！愿你们穿得暖，吃得饱”，却不给他们身体所需用的，这有什么益处呢？
17 By itself even your trust-based faith in God is dead and worthless if you don't actually do what's good and right.
这样，信心若没有行为就是死的。
18 Someone may argue, “You have your trust in God; I have my good deeds.” Well, show me your trust in God without good deeds, and I will show you my trust in God by my good deeds!
必有人说：“你有信心，我有行为；你将你没有行为的信心指给我看，我便借着我的行为，将我的信心指给你看。”
19 You believe that God is one God? That's great—but demons believe in God too, and they're scared of him!
你信 神只有一位，你信的不错；鬼魔也信，却是战惊。
20 You foolish people! Don't you know that trust in God without doing what's right is worthless?
虚浮的人哪，你愿意知道没有行为的信心是死的吗？
21 Wasn't our father Abraham made right by what he did—by offering his son Isaac on the altar?
我们的祖宗亚伯拉罕把他儿子以撒献在坛上，岂不是因行为称义吗？
22 You notice that his trust in God worked together with what he did, and through what he did his trust in God was made complete.
可见，信心是与他的行为并行，而且信心因着行为才得成全。
23 In this way scripture was fulfilled: “Abraham trusted God, and this was considered as him doing right,” and he was called the friend of God.
这就应验经上所说：“亚伯拉罕信 神，这就算为他的义。”他又得称为 神的朋友。
24 You see that people are made right by what they do, and not just by trusting God.
这样看来，人称义是因着行为，不是单因着信。
25 In the same way, wasn't Rahab the prostitute made right by what she did when she looked after the messengers and then sent them away by a different road?
妓女喇合接待使者，又放他们从别的路上出去，不也是一样因行为称义吗？
26 Just as the body is dead without the spirit, trust in God is dead if you don't do what's right.
身体没有灵魂是死的，信心没有行为也是死的。
