James 2
1 My brethren, do not, with respect for persons, be holding the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory.
MY brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
2 For, if there enter into your synagogue a man wearing gold rings in gay clothing, and there enter a destitute man also, in soiled clothing, —
For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
3 And ye eye him that hath on the gay clothing, and say, Thou, be sitting here, pleasantly, —and, unto the destitute man, say—Thou, stand, or sit there under my footstool,
And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
4 Would ye not have been led to make distinctions among yourselves, and have become judges with wicked reasonings?
Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
5 Hearken! my brethren beloved: —Hath not, God, chosen the destitute in the world [to be] rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
6 Whereas, ye, have dishonoured the destitute man! Do not, the rich, oppress you? and, themselves, drag you into courts of justice?
But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
7 Do not, they, defame the noble name which hath been invoked upon you?
Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
8 If ye are, indeed, fulfilling, a royal law, according to the scripture—Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, nobly, are ye doing;
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
9 But, if ye are shewing respect of persons, sin, are ye working, being convicted by the law as transgressors!
But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
10 For, a man who shall keep, the whole law, but shall stumble in one thing, hath become, for all things, liable, —
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For, he that hath said—Do not commit adultery, hath also said—Do not commit murder, —now, if thou dost not commit adultery, but dost commit murder, thou hast become a transgressor of law.
For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
12 So, be speaking, and, so, doing, as they who, through means of a law of freedom, are about to be judged;
So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For, the judgment, [will be] without mercy, unto him that hath shewed no mercy: Mercy, boasteth, over judgment.
For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
14 What profit, my brethren, —if one should be saying he hath, faith, but hath not, works; can his faith save him?
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If, a brother or sister, should be naked, and coming short of the daily food,
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one from among you should say unto them—Withdraw in peace, be getting warmed and fed, but should not give them the things needful for the body, What the profit?
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 So, also, faith, if it have not works, is dead, by itself.
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 But one will say, —Thou, hast faith, and, I, have works, show me thy faith apart from thy works, and, I, unto thee, will shew, by my works, my faith.
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that God is, one: thou doest, well—Even the demons believe, and shudder!
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But art thou willing to learn, O empty man! that, faith, apart from works, is, idle?
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Abraham our father, was it not, by works, he was declared righteous—when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Thou seest that, his faith, had been working together with his works, and by his works did his faith become full-grown, —
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith—And Abraham believed God, And it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and, God’s friend, was he called:
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see that—by works, a man is declared righteous, and not by faith alone.
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 And, in like manner also, Rahab the harlot, Was it not, by works, she was declared righteous, when she gave welcome unto the messengers, and, by another way, urged them forth?
Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 Just as, the body, apart from spirit, is dead, so, our faith also, apart from works, is dead.
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
