James 2
1 My brothers, do not hold the faith of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ in favor by appearance,
My brothers, do not hold the faith of the Lord Jesus, the Lord of Glory, in a spirit of caste.
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,
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 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 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 you did not judge fully in yourselves, and became ill-reasoning judges.
are you not drawing distinctions among yourselves, and have you not become judges with evil 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 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 you dishonored the poor one. Do the rich not oppress you and themselves draw you to judgment-seats?
But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you to court?
7 Do they not themselves speak evil of the good Name having been called on you?
Are they not blaspheming that glorious Name by which you are called?
8 If, indeed, you fulfill royal law, according to the Writing: “You will love your neighbor as yourself,” you do 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 you favor by appearance, you work sin, being convicted by the Law as transgressors;
If you have the spirit of caste you are committing sin, and are 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 if a man keeps the whole of the Law, and yet stumbles in one point, he is 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;
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 thus, speak and so act as [one] about to be judged by a law of liberty,
So speak and act like men who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
13 for the judgment without mercy [is] to him having not done mercy, and mercy exults over judgment.
For judgment is without mercy to the man who has showed no mercy. but mercy glories in the face of 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?
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 And if a brother or sister may be naked, and may be destitute of daily food,
If a brother or sister be naked and in need of 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 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 So also faith, if it may not have works, is dead by itself.
In just the same way faith, if it have not deeds, is by itself a lifeless thing.
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.
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 You believe that God is one; you do well! The demons also believe—and shudder!
You believe that God is one? You do well; even the demons believe, and they shudder.
20 And do you wish to know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?
But do you want to be convinced, O foolish man, that faith apart from deeds is barren?
21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous out of works, having brought up his son Isaac on the altar?
Was not Abraham our ancestor justified by deeds, in that he offered up Isaac, his son, upon the altar?
22 Do you see that faith was working with his works, and faith was perfected out of the works?
You see how faith was cooperating with deeds, and faith was made perfect by deeds.
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 said, And Abraham believed God, and this was imputed to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend.
24 You see, then, that man is considered righteous out of works, and not out of faith only;
You see, then, that it is by his deeds a man is justified, and not simply by his faith.
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?
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 apart from [the] spirit is dead, so also the faith apart from works is dead.
So just as the body without a spirit is dead, so faith is dead without deeds.
