James 2
1 My friends, as trusting believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, you must not show favoritism.
My brethren, do not have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [Lord] of glory, with respect of persons:
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.
for if there come unto your synagogue a man with a gold ring in splendid apparel, and a poor man also come in in vile apparel,
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,”
and ye look upon him who wears the splendid apparel, and say, Do thou sit here well, and say to the poor, Do thou stand there, or sit here under my footstool:
4 haven't you discriminated and judged with bad motives?
have ye not made a difference among yourselves, and become judges having evil thoughts?
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?
Hear, my beloved brethren: Has not God chosen the poor as to the world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to them that love him?
6 But you've treated the poor shamefully. Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you before the courts?
But ye have despised the poor [man]. Do not the rich oppress you, and [do not] they drag you before [the] tribunals?
7 Don't they insult the honorable name of the one who called you and to whom you belong?
And [do not] they blaspheme the excellent name which has been called upon you?
8 If you really observe the royal law of Scripture: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” then you do well.
If indeed ye keep [the] royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.
9 But if you show favoritism, you're sinning. The law convicts you as guilty of breaking it.
But if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 Someone who observes everything in the law but fails in just one part is guilty of breaking it all.
For whoever shall keep the whole law and shall offend in one [point], he has come under the guilt of [breaking] all.
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.
For he who said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become transgressor of [the] law.
12 You should speak and act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom.
So speak ye, and so act, as those that are to be judged by [the] law of liberty;
13 Anyone who doesn't show mercy will be judged without mercy. Yet mercy wins out over judgment!
for judgment [will be] without mercy to him that has shewn no mercy. Mercy glories over judgment.
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?
What [is] the profit, my brethren, if any one say he have faith, but have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister doesn't have clothes, or food for the day,
Now if a brother or a sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
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?
and one from amongst you say to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled; but give not to them the needful things for the body, what [is] the profit?
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.
So also faith, if it have not works, is dead by itself.
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!
But some one will say, Thou hast faith and I have works. Shew me thy faith without works, and I from my works will shew thee my faith.
19 You believe that God is one God? That's great—but demons believe in God too, and they're scared of him!
Thou believest that God is one. Thou doest well. The demons even believe, and tremble.
20 You foolish people! Don't you know that trust in God without doing what's right is worthless?
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Wasn't our father Abraham made right by what he did—by offering his son Isaac on the altar?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
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.
Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and that by works faith was perfected.
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.
And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called Friend of God.
24 You see that people are made right by what they do, and not just by trusting God.
Ye see that a man is justified on the principle of works, and not on the principle of faith only.
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?
But was not in like manner also Rahab the harlot justified on the principle of works, when she had received the messengers and put [them] forth by another way?
26 Just as the body is dead without the spirit, trust in God is dead if you don't do what's right.
For as the body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
