James 2
1 My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord of glory, Jesus Christ, with respect of persons.
My Brothers, are you really trying to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with the worship of rank?
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,
Suppose a man should enter your Synagogue, with gold rings and in grand clothes, and suppose a poor man should come in also, in shabby clothes,
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,
and you are deferential to the man who is wearing grand clothes, and say — “There is a good seat for you here,” but to the poor man — “You must stand; or sit down there by my footstool,”
4 have ye not been partial among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
Is not that to make distinctions among yourselves, and show yourselves prejudiced judges?
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 Brothers. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the things of this world to be rich through their faith, and to possess the Kingdom which he has 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 — you insult the poor man! Is not it the rich who oppress you? Is not it they who drag you into law-courts?
7 Do not they blaspheme the worthy name by which ye are called?
Is not it they who malign that honourable Name which has been bestowed upon you?
8 If indeed ye fulfill the royal law, according to the scripture, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,” ye do well.
Yet, if you keep the royal law which runs — ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thou dost thyself,’ you are doing right;
9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
but, if you worship rank, you commit a sin, and stand convicted by that same law of being offenders against it.
10 For whoever hath kept the whole law, and yet hath offended in one point, hath become guilty of all.
For a man who has laid the Law, as a whole, to heart, but has failed in one particular, is liable for breaking all its provisions.
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.
He who said ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery’ also said ‘Thou shalt not murder.’ If, then, you commit murder but not adultery, you are still an offender against the Law.
12 So speak, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
Therefore, speak and act as men who are to 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.
For there will be justice without mercy for him who has not acted mercifully. Mercy triumphs over Justice.
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 Brothers, what is the good of a man’s saying that he has faith, if he does not prove it by actions? Can such faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Suppose some Brother or Sister should be in want of clothes and of daily bread,
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 one of you were to say to them — “Go, and peace be with you; find warmth and food for yourselves,” and yet you were not to give them the necessaries of life, what good would it be to them?
17 So also faith, if it hath not works, is dead in itself.
In just the same way faith, if not followed by actions, is, by itself, a lifeless thing.
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.
Some one, indeed, may say — “You are a man of faith, and I am a man of action.” “Then show me your faith,” I reply, “apart from any actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions.”
19 Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well; the demons also believe, and tremble.
It is a part of your Faith, is it not, that there is one God? Good; yet even the demons have that faith, and tremble at the thought.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is idle?
Now do you really want to understand, you foolish man, how it is that faith without actions leads to nothing?
21 Was not Abraham our father accepted as righteous through works, when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Look at our ancestor, Abraham. Was not it the result of his actions that he was pronounced righteous after he had offered his son, Isaac, on the altar?
22 Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect.
You see how, in his case, faith and actions went together; that his faith was perfected as the result of his actions;
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.
and that in this way the words of Scripture came true — “Abraham believed God, and that was regarded by God as righteousness,” 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, then, that it is as the result of his actions that a man is pronounced righteous, and not of his faith only.
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?
Was not it the same with the prostitute, Rahab? Was not it as the result of her actions that she was pronounced righteous, after she had welcomed the messengers and hastened them away by a different road?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Exactly as a body is dead without a spirit, so faith is dead without actions.
