James 2
1 My brethren, haue not the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons.
My brethren, you must not make distinctions between one man and another while you are striving to maintain faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our glory.
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 suppose a man comes into one of your meetings wearing gold rings and fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man wearing 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 pay court to the one who wears the fine clothes, and say, "Sit here; this is a good place;" while 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?
is it not plain that in your hearts you have little faith, seeing that you have become judges full of wrong 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 dearly-loved brethren. Has not God chosen those whom the world regards as poor to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which He has promised to those that 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 put dishonour upon the poor man. Yet is it not the rich who grind you down? Are not they the very people who drag you into the Law courts? --
7 Doe nor they blaspheme the worthie Name after which yee be named?
and the very people who speak evil of the noble 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, however, you are keeping the Law as supreme, in obedience to the Commandment which says "You are to love your fellow man just as you love yourself," you are acting rightly.
9 But if yee regarde the persons, yee commit sinne, and are rebuked of the Lawe, as transgressours.
But if you are making distinctions between one man and another, you are guilty of sin, and are convicted by the Law as offenders.
10 For whosoeuer shall keepe the whole Lawe, and yet faileth in one poynt, hee is guiltie of all.
A man who has kept the Law as a whole, but has failed to keep some one command, has become guilty of violating 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," also said, "Do not commit murder," and if you are a murderer, although not an adulterer, you have become an offender against the Law.
12 So speake ye, and so doe, as they that shall be iudged by the Lawe of libertie.
Speak and act as those should who are expecting to be judged by the Law of freedom.
13 For there shalbe condemnation merciles to him that sheweth not mercie, and mercie reioyceth against condemnation.
For he who shows no mercy will have judgement given against him without mercy; but mercy triumphs over judgement.
14 What auaileth it, my brethren, though a man saith he hath faith, when he hath no workes? can that faith saue him?
What good is it, my brethren, if a man professes to have faith, and yet his actions do not correspond? Can such faith save him?
15 For if a brother or a sister bee naked and destitute of daily foode,
Suppose a Christian brother or sister is poorly clad or lacks 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, "I wish you well; keep yourselves warm and well fed," and yet you do not give them what they need; what is the use of that?
17 Euen so the faith, if it haue no woorkes, is dead in it selfe.
So also faith, if it is unaccompanied by obedience, has no life in it--so long as it stands alone.
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.
Nay, some one will say, "You have faith, I have actions: prove to me your faith apart from corresponding actions and I will prove mine to you by my actions.
19 Thou beleeuest that there is one God: thou doest well: the deuils also beleeue it, and tremble.
You believe that God is one, and you are quite right: evil spirits also believe this, and shudder."
20 But wilt thou vnderstand, O thou vaine man, that the faith which is without workes, is dead?
But, idle boaster, are you willing to be taught how it is that faith apart from obedience is worthless? Take the case of Abraham our forefather.
21 Was not Abraham our father iustified through workes, when he offred Isaac his sonne vpon the altar?
Was it, or was it not, because of his actions that he was declared to be righteous as the result of his having offered up his son Isaac upon the altar?
22 Seest thou not that the faith wrought with his workes? and through the workes was the faith made perfect.
You notice that his faith was co-operating with his actions, and that by his actions his faith was perfected;
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 says, "And Abraham believed God, and his faith was placed to his credit as righteousness," and he received the name of 'God's friend.'
24 Ye see then howe that of workes a man is iustified, and not of faith onely.
You all see that it is because of actions that a man is pronounced righteous, and not simply because of 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 the same way also was not the notorious sinner Rahab declared to be righteous because of her actions when she welcomed the spies and hurriedly helped them to escape another way?
26 For as the body without ye spirit is dead, euen so the faith without workes is dead.
For just as a human body without a spirit is lifeless, so also faith is lifeless if it is unaccompanied by obedience.
