James 2
1 My fellow believers, [because] you trust our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is glorious/wonderful, stop honoring some people more than others.
My brothers, stop holding the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Glory, with partiality!
2 [For example], suppose that a person who wears gold rings and fine clothes enters your meeting place. Then suppose that a poor person who wears shabby/ragged clothes also comes in.
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 [suppose] that you (show special attention to/treat better) the one who is dressed in fine clothes by saying, “Sit here in this good seat!” and you say to the poor one, “Stand there or sit on the floor [MTY]!”
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 Then you have obviously [RHQ] caused divisions in the congregation (OR, you are clearly treating one better than the others, and you are using evil [motives/reasons] to ([evaluate people/decide whether people are important or not])).
have you not been separated among yourselves and become judges with malignant thoughts?
5 Listen [to me], my fellow believers whom I love: God has chosen [RHQ] poor people whom [unbelievers consider to] possess nothing of value, [so that he might bless them] greatly [because] they trust [in him], and in order that they will enter the place where [he] will rule [MET] [forever]. That is what he has promised to those who love 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 dishonor the poor people. Think about it! (It is rich people, [not poor people], who are causing you to suffer!/Isn’t it rich people, [not poor people], who are oppressing you?) [RHQ] (It is [the rich people] who forcibly take you to court [to accuse you in front of judges]!/Is it not [the rich people] who forcibly take you to court [to accuse you in front of judges]?) [RHQ]
But you dishonored the poor one. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into courts?
7 (And they are the ones who say evil things about Jesus Christ, the one who is worthy [of praise], to whom you belong!/Are they not the ones who say evil things about Jesus Christ, the one who is worthy [of praise], to whom you belong?) [RHQ]
Do they not blaspheme the noble name that was called upon you?
8 In the Scriptures [God has commanded] each of you to love other people like you love yourself. That commandment was [also given] by [Jesus our] King [MTY]. If you [are loving others], you are doing what is right.
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 honor some people more than others, you are (doing wrong/sinning). And because you [do not do what God commanded us to do], he condemns you [PRS] because you disobey his laws.
but if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 Do not forget that those who disobey only one of God’s laws, even if they obey all [his other] laws, [God considers them] to be [as guilty as anyone who has disobeyed] all [of] God’s [laws].
For whoever will keep the whole law, yet stumble in one point, has become guilty of all.
11 For example, [God] said, “Do not commit adultery,” but he also said, “Do not murder anyone.” [So] if you [(sg)] do not commit adultery but you [(sg)] murder someone, you [(sg)] have become a person who disobeys [God’s] laws.
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 Continually speak and act [toward others] as people should who will be judged {whom [God] will judge} by the law that frees us [from being punished] {[God punishing us]} [for our sins].
Speak and act as being those who are about to be judged by a law of liberty
13 [Speak and act like that], because when [God] judges us, he will not act mercifully toward those who do not act mercifully toward others. But when we [are] merciful [to others, we can rejoice], because [our being] merciful [shows] that [we are acting like people whom God] has mercifully saved from being judged (OR, [we can rejoice] because [God] will judge us mercifully).
(the judgment will be without mercy to the one not showing mercy). That law exalts mercy over judgment.
14 My fellow believers, [there are some people who say], “I believe [in the Lord Jesus Christ],” but they do not do good things [for other people]. (Their saying that will certainly not do them any good!/What good will their saying that do for them?) [RHQ] [God] will certainly not save [people like that who say that they believe, but do not do good things]! [RHQ]
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 [To illustrate], suppose that fellow believers, either men or women, don’t have enough clothing or food for each day.
If a brother or sister is actually naked, and is destitute of the daily food,
16 And suppose that one of you says to them, “May [God] bless you and supply the clothing and food that you need!” but you [(sg)] do not give them the things that they need. (That would be no help [to them]!/What help is that [to them]?) [RHQ]
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 Similarly, [those who do] not do good things [to help others, what they have said about] their believing [in Christ] is [as useless] [MET] [as] a dead person [is useless]. They do not [really believe in Christ].
Thus also that faith, if it does not have works, is dead, being by itself.
18 But someone may say [to me], “[God saves] some people only [because] they trust [in him], and [he saves] others [because] they do good deeds [to people].” [I would answer that person], “[You(sg) cannot] prove to me that people truly trust [in God if] they do not do good things [for others]. But by doing good things [for others] I will prove to you that I truly trust [in God”]
(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 [Think about it]! You believe that there is only one God, and you are right [to believe that]. But the demons also believe that, but they tremble [with fear because they know that God is going to punish them].
You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder!)
20 Also, you foolish person, I will [RHQ] prove to you [(sg)] that [if someone says], “I trust [in God],” but he does not do good things, [what that person says] will not benefit him.
But you need to know, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is dead!
21 (It was certainly [because of] what our [revered] ancestor Abraham did, when he [prepared to] sacrifice his son Isaac, that he was considered [by God] {that [God] considered him} to be a righteous, [obedient] person./Was it not [because of] what our [revered] ancestor Abraham did, when he [prepared to] sacrifice his son Isaac, that he was considered [by God] {that [God] considered him} to be a righteous, [obedient] person?) [RHQ]
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22 You [(sg)] can realize that he was not only trusting [in God], but he was also doing [what God told him to do], and [you(sg) can realize] that he was able to trust [in God more] completely because of having done [what God told him to do].
You can see that faith was acting together with his works, and the faith was made complete by the works.
23 And [so it happened as it is written in the] Scriptures: “Because Abraham truly trusted in God, he was considered [by God] to be {[God] considered that he was} righteous.” And [God also] said [about Abraham], “He is my friend.”
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 [From the example of Abraham], you can realize that it is because people do good things that [God] considers them to be righteous, and not only because they trust [in him].
You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Similarly, it was certainly [RHQ] [because of] what Rahab did, that [God] considered her to be a righteous, [obedient] person. Rahab was [previously] a prostitute, but she cared for the Israelite men who came [to] ([spy out the land/see what that area was like]) and she [helped them to escape by] sending them home on a different road [from the one that they came on].
Similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different way?
26 Remember that when our spirits [permanently leave our] bodies, [our bodies] are dead [and useless]. Similarly [SIM], [if someone says], “I trust [in God],” but does not do [things to help others, what that person says about trusting in God] is useless.
For just as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
