James 2
1 My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord of glory, Jesus Christ, with respect of persons.
My friends, as trusting believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, you must not show favoritism.
2 For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring, in splendid apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment,
Imagine that a man comes into your synagogue wearing gold rings and fine clothes, and then a poor man comes in dressed in rags.
3 and ye have respect to him that weareth the splendid apparel, and say, Sit thou here in a good place, and say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or, Sit under my footstool,
If you pay special attention to the well-dressed man, and say, “Please sit here in a seat of honor,” while you say to the poor man, “Stand over there, or sit on the floor by my feet,”
4 have ye not been partial among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
haven't you discriminated and judged with bad motives?
5 Hearken, my beloved brethren. Did not God choose the poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?
Listen, my dear friends: Didn't God choose those who the world considers poor to be rich in their trust in him, and to inherit the kingdom he promised to those who love him?
6 but ye have despised the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and do not they drag you before the judgment-seats?
But you've treated the poor shamefully. Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you before the courts?
7 Do not they blaspheme the worthy name by which ye are called?
Don't they insult the honorable name of the one who called you and to whom you belong?
8 If indeed ye fulfill the royal law, according to the scripture, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,” ye do well.
If you really observe the royal law of Scripture: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” then you do well.
9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
But if you show favoritism, you're sinning. The law convicts you as guilty of breaking it.
10 For whoever hath kept the whole law, and yet hath offended in one point, hath become guilty of all.
Someone who observes everything in the law but fails in just one part is guilty of breaking it all.
11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” said also, “Do not kill.” Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou hast become a transgressor of the law.
God told you not to commit adultery, and he also told you not to kill. So if you don't commit adultery, but you do kill, you've become a law-breaker.
12 So speak, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
You should speak and act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom.
13 For the judgment shall be without mercy to him that showed no mercy. Mercy glorieth against judgment.
Anyone who doesn't show mercy will be judged without mercy. Yet mercy wins out over judgment!
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, if any one say that he hath faith, and have not works? Can his faith save him?
My friends, what's the good of someone saying they trust in God when they don't do what's good and right? Can such “trust” save them?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
If a brother or sister doesn't have clothes, or food for the day,
16 and one of you say to them, Depart in peace, be warmed and be filled, notwithstanding ye give them not the things needful for the body, what doth it profit?
and you say to them, “Blessings on you! Stay warm and have a good meal!” and you don't provide what they need to survive, what's the good of that?
17 So also faith, if it hath not works, is dead in itself.
By itself even your trust-based faith in God is dead and worthless if you don't actually do what's good and right.
18 But some one will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; show me thy faith without works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.
Someone may argue, “You have your trust in God; I have my good deeds.” Well, show me your trust in God without good deeds, and I will show you my trust in God by my good deeds!
19 Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well; the demons also believe, and tremble.
You believe that God is one God? That's great—but demons believe in God too, and they're scared of him!
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is idle?
You foolish people! Don't you know that trust in God without doing what's right is worthless?
21 Was not Abraham our father accepted as righteous through works, when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Wasn't our father Abraham made right by what he did—by offering his son Isaac on the altar?
22 Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect.
You notice that his trust in God worked together with what he did, and through what he did his trust in God was made complete.
23 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness;” and he was called the friend of God.
In this way scripture was fulfilled: “Abraham trusted God, and this was considered as him doing right,” and he was called the friend of God.
24 Ye see that by works a man is accounted as righteous, and not by faith only.
You see that people are made right by what they do, and not just by trusting God.
25 And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot accounted as righteous through works, when she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?
In the same way, wasn't Rahab the prostitute made right by what she did when she looked after the messengers and then sent them away by a different road?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Just as the body is dead without the spirit, trust in God is dead if you don't do what's right.
