James 2
1 My friends, as trusting believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, you must not show favoritism.
My brethren, do not hold the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with partial regard for 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 enter into your synagogue a man having gold rings on his fingers, and with splendid clothing, and there enter likewise a poor man, with sordid 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 you look on him who has the splendid clothing, and say, Sit you here honorably; and to the poor man, Stand you there; or, Sit here at my footstool:
4 haven't you discriminated and judged with bad motives?
are you not, then, partial among yourselves, and have become judges who reason wickedly?
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?
Hearken, beloved brethren: Has not God chosen the poor of the world--rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to them who love him?
6 But you've treated the poor shamefully. Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you before the courts?
Do not the rich exceedingly oppress you, and themselves drag you to the judgment seats?
7 Don't they insult the honorable name of the one who called you and to whom you belong?
Do not they defame that excellent name which is named on you?
8 If you really observe the royal law of Scripture: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” then you do well.
If, now, indeed, you fulfill a royal law, according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well.
9 But if you show favoritism, you're sinning. The law convicts you as guilty of breaking it.
But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, being convicted by the law of transgressors.
10 Someone who observes everything in the law but fails in just one part is guilty of breaking it all.
For whoever will keep the whole law, yet fails in one point, has become guilty of 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, "Do not commit adultery," has also said, "Do not kill." Now if you do not commit adultery, yet if you kill, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 You should speak and act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom.
So speak, and so do, as those who shall be judged by a law of liberty;
13 Anyone who doesn't show mercy will be judged without mercy. Yet mercy wins out over judgment!
for judgment without mercy, will be to him who showed no mercy: but mercy exults 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 advantage, 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,
For if a brother or a sister be naked, or 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 any one of you say to him, Depart in peace: be warmed, and be filled; yet give him none of the things needful for the body, what is the advantage?
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, being alone.
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!
Also, one may say, You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that God is one God? That's great—but demons believe in God too, and they're scared of him!
You believe that there is one God; you do well: even the demons believe and tremble.
20 You foolish people! Don't you know that trust in God without doing what's right is worthless?
Besides, would you 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 lifted up 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.
You see that his faith co-operated with his works, and by works his 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 so that scripture was fulfilled, which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God."
24 You see that people are made right by what they do, and not just by trusting God.
You see, that by works a man is justified, and not by 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?
And in like manner, also, was not Rahab, the harlot, justified by works, having secretly received the messengers, and having sent them away by another road.
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 the spirit, is dead, so, also, faith, without works, is dead.
