James 2
1 My brothers, do not hold the faith of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ in favor by appearance,
My brothers, stop holding the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Glory, with partiality!
2 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,
For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothes, should enter your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy rags should also enter,
3 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,”
and you pay special attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit in this special seat,” but to the poor one you say, “You stand there,” or “Sit here at my footstool,”
4 you did not judge fully in yourselves, and became ill-reasoning judges.
have you not been separated among yourselves and become judges with malignant thoughts?
5 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?
Listen, my beloved brothers. Has not God chosen the poor of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to those loving Him?
6 But you dishonored the poor one. Do the rich not oppress you and themselves draw you to judgment-seats?
But you dishonored the poor one. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into courts?
7 Do they not themselves speak evil of the good Name having been called on you?
Do they not blaspheme the noble name that was called upon you?
8 If, indeed, you fulfill royal law, according to the Writing: “You will love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;
9 but if you favor by appearance, you work sin, being convicted by the Law as transgressors;
but if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 for whoever will keep the whole Law, but will stumble in one [point], he has become guilty of all;
For whoever will keep the whole law, yet stumble in one point, has become guilty of all.
11 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;
Because He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 thus, speak and so act as [one] about to be judged by a law of liberty,
Speak and act as being those who are about to be judged by a law of liberty
13 for the judgment without mercy [is] to him having not done mercy, and mercy exults over judgment.
(the judgment will be without mercy to the one not showing mercy). That law exalts mercy over judgment.
14 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?
What is the advantage, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? That faith cannot save him, can it?
15 And if a brother or sister may be naked, and may be destitute of daily food,
If a brother or sister is actually naked, and is destitute of the daily food,
16 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?
and someone among you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you (pl) do not give them the things needed for the body, what is the benefit?
17 So also faith, if it may not have works, is dead by itself.
Thus also that faith, if it does not have works, is dead, being by itself.
18 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.
(But someone will say: “You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith by your works and I, by my works will show you my faith [what he believes].”
19 You believe that God is one; you do well! The demons also believe—and shudder!
You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder!)
20 And do you wish to know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?
But you need to know, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is dead!
21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous out of works, having brought up his son Isaac on the altar?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Do you see that faith was working with his works, and faith was perfected out of the works?
You can see that faith was acting together with his works, and the faith was made complete by the works.
23 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.
And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “So Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called ‘friend of God’.
24 You see, then, that man is considered righteous out of works, and not out of faith only;
You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 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?
Similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different way?
26 For as the body apart from [the] spirit is dead, so also the faith apart from works is dead.
For just as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
