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 Lord Jesus, the Lord of Glory, in a spirit of caste.
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,
Suppose a man comes into your synagogue with a gold ring and dazzling clothes, and suppose a poor man comes in, also, in shabby clothes,
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 look up to him who wears the fine clothing, and say to him, "Sit here in this fine place!" and to the poor man you say, "Stand there!" or "Sit on the floor at my feet!"
4 Are yee not partiall in your selues, and are become iudges of euill thoughts?
are you not drawing distinctions among yourselves, and have you not become judges with evil thoughts?
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 dear brothers, has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith, and to inherit the kingdom which he has promised to those who love 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 have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you to court?
7 Doe nor they blaspheme the worthie Name after which yee be named?
Are they not blaspheming that glorious Name by which you are called?
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 you are keeping the royal law, which says, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou dost thyself, you are doing well.
9 But if yee regarde the persons, yee commit sinne, and are rebuked of the Lawe, as transgressours.
If you have the spirit of caste you are committing sin, and are 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 if a man keeps the whole of the Law, and yet stumbles in one point, he is 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 said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not Kill. Now if you do not commit adultery, but if you do kill, you have transgressed the Law.
12 So speake ye, and so doe, as they that shall be iudged by the Lawe of libertie.
So speak and act like men who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For there shalbe condemnation merciles to him that sheweth not mercie, and mercie reioyceth against condemnation.
For judgment is without mercy to the man who has showed no mercy. but mercy glories in the face of judgment.
14 What auaileth it, my brethren, though a man saith he hath faith, when he hath no workes? can that faith saue him?
My brothers, what good is it if any one says that he has faith, if he has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
15 For if a brother or a sister bee naked and destitute of daily foode,
If a brother or sister be naked and in need 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 one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, find warmth and food for yourselves," but at the same time you do not give the necessaries of the body, what good would that do them?
17 Euen so the faith, if it haue no woorkes, is dead in it selfe.
In just the same way faith, if it have not deeds, is by itself a lifeless thing.
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.
Some one indeed may say, "You have faith, and I have deeds." "Then show me your faith," I answer, "apart from any deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds."
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; even the demons believe, and they shudder.
20 But wilt thou vnderstand, O thou vaine man, that the faith which is without workes, is dead?
But do you want to be convinced, O foolish man, that faith apart from deeds is barren?
21 Was not Abraham our father iustified through workes, when he offred Isaac his sonne vpon the altar?
Was not Abraham our ancestor justified by deeds, in that he offered up Isaac, his son, upon the altar?
22 Seest thou not that the faith wrought with his workes? and through the workes was the faith made perfect.
You see how faith was cooperating with deeds, and faith was made perfect by deeds.
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 Scripture was fulfilled which said, And Abraham believed God, and this was imputed to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend.
24 Ye see then howe that of workes a man is iustified, and not of faith onely.
You see, then, that it is by his deeds a man is justified, and not simply by his faith.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot iustified through workes, when she had receiued ye messengers, and sent them out another way?
In like manner was not Rahab, the harlot, justified by her deeds, in the fact that she received the messengers and sent them forth by another way?
26 For as the body without ye spirit is dead, euen so the faith without workes is dead.
So just as the body without a spirit is dead, so faith is dead without deeds.
