James 2
1 My brethren, haue not the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons.
My brothers, do not hold the faith of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ in favor by appearance,
2 For if there come into your company a man with a golde ring, and in goodly apparell, and there come in also a poore man in vile raiment,
for if there may come into your synagogue a man with gold ring, in radiant clothing, and there may also come in a poor man in vile clothing,
3 And ye haue a respect to him that weareth the gaie clothing; and say vnto him, Sit thou here in a goodly place, and say vnto the poore, Stand thou there, or sit here vnder my footestoole,
and you may look on him bearing the radiant clothing, and may say to him, “You—sit here well,” and may say to the poor man, “You—stand there,” or, “Sit here under my footstool,”
4 Are yee not partiall in your selues, and are become iudges of euill thoughts?
you did not judge fully in yourselves, and became ill-reasoning judges.
5 Hearken my beloued brethren, hath not God chosen the poore of this worlde, that they should be rich in faith, and heires of the kingdome which he promised to them that loue him?
Listen, my beloved brothers, did God not choose the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that He promised to those loving Him?
6 But ye haue despised the poore. Doe not the riche oppresse you by tyrannie, and doe not they drawe you before the iudgement seates?
But you dishonored the poor one. Do the rich not oppress you and themselves draw you to judgment-seats?
7 Doe nor they blaspheme the worthie Name after which yee be named?
Do they not themselves speak evil of the good Name having been called on you?
8 But if yee fulfill the royall Lawe according to the Scripture, which saith, Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe, yee doe well.
If, indeed, you fulfill royal law, according to the Writing: “You will love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;
9 But if yee regarde the persons, yee commit sinne, and are rebuked of the Lawe, as transgressours.
but if you favor by appearance, you work sin, being convicted by the Law as transgressors;
10 For whosoeuer shall keepe the whole Lawe, and yet faileth in one poynt, hee is guiltie of all.
for whoever will keep the whole Law, but will stumble in one [point], he has become guilty of all;
11 For he that saide, Thou shalt not commit adulterie, saide also, Thou shalt not kill. Nowe though thou doest none adulterie, yet if thou killest, thou art a transgressour of the Lawe.
for He who is saying, “You may not commit adultery,” also said, “You may not murder”; but if you will not commit adultery, but will commit murder, you have become a transgressor of law;
12 So speake ye, and so doe, as they that shall be iudged by the Lawe of libertie.
thus, speak and so act as [one] about to be judged by a law of liberty,
13 For there shalbe condemnation merciles to him that sheweth not mercie, and mercie reioyceth against condemnation.
for the judgment without mercy [is] to him having not done mercy, and mercy exults over judgment.
14 What auaileth it, my brethren, though a man saith he hath faith, when he hath no workes? can that faith saue him?
What [is] the profit, my brothers, if anyone may speak of having faith, but he may not have works? Is that faith able to save him?
15 For if a brother or a sister bee naked and destitute of daily foode,
And if a brother or sister may be naked, and may be destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say vnto them, Depart in peace: warme your selues, and fil your bellies, notwithstading ye giue them not those things which are needefull to the body, what helpeth it?
and anyone of you may say to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed, and be filled,” but may not give to them the things necessary for the body, what [is] the profit?
17 Euen so the faith, if it haue no woorkes, is dead in it selfe.
So also faith, if it may not have works, is dead by itself.
18 But some man might say, Thou hast the faith, and I haue woorkes: shewe me thy faith out of thy woorkes, and I will shewe thee my faith by my woorkes.
But someone may say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith out of works.
19 Thou beleeuest that there is one God: thou doest well: the deuils also beleeue it, and tremble.
You believe that God is one; you do well! The demons also believe—and shudder!
20 But wilt thou vnderstand, O thou vaine man, that the faith which is without workes, is dead?
And do you wish to know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father iustified through workes, when he offred Isaac his sonne vpon the altar?
Was not our father Abraham considered righteous out of works, having brought up his son Isaac on the altar?
22 Seest thou not that the faith wrought with his workes? and through the workes was the faith made perfect.
Do you see that faith was working with his works, and faith was perfected out of the works?
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which sayeth, Abraham beleeued God, and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse: and hee was called the friende of God.
And the Writing was fulfilled that is saying, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness”; and, “Friend of God” he was called.
24 Ye see then howe that of workes a man is iustified, and not of faith onely.
You see, then, that man is considered righteous out of works, and not out of faith only;
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot iustified through workes, when she had receiued ye messengers, and sent them out another way?
and in like manner also Rahab the prostitute—was she not considered righteous out of works, having received the messengers, and having sent [them] forth by another way?
26 For as the body without ye spirit is dead, euen so the faith without workes is dead.
For as the body apart from [the] spirit is dead, so also the faith apart from works is dead.
