< James 2 >

1 My brothers, do not hold to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with favoritism toward certain people.
ܐܚܝ ܠܐ ܒܡܤܒ ܒܐܦܐ ܬܗܘܘܢ ܐܚܝܕܝܢ ܠܗܝܡܢܘܬܐ ܕܬܫܒܘܚܬܗ ܕܡܪܢ ܝܫܘܥ ܡܫܝܚܐ
2 Suppose that someone enters your meeting wearing gold rings and fine clothes, and there also enters a poor man in dirty clothes.
ܐܢ ܓܝܪ ܢܥܘܠ ܠܟܢܘܫܬܟܘܢ ܐܢܫ ܕܥܙܩܬܗ ܕܕܗܒܐ ܐܘ ܕܡܐܢܘܗܝ ܫܦܝܪܐ ܘܢܥܘܠ ܡܤܟܢܐ ܒܡܐܢܐ ܨܐܐ
3 If you look at the person wearing fine clothes and say, “You sit here in a good place,” but you say to the poor man, “You stand over there” or “Sit at my feet,”
ܘܬܚܘܪܘܢ ܒܗܘ ܕܠܒܝܫ ܡܐܢܐ ܫܦܝܪܐ ܘܬܐܡܪܘܢ ܠܗ ܐܢܬ ܗܪܟܐ ܬܒ ܫܦܝܪ ܘܠܡܤܟܢܐ ܬܐܡܪܘܢ ܠܗ ܐܢܬ ܩܘܡ ܠܗܠ ܐܘ ܬܒ ܠܟ ܗܪܟܐ ܩܕܡ ܟܘܒܫܐ ܕܪܓܠܝܢ
4 are you not judging among yourselves? Have you not become judges with evil thoughts?
ܠܐ ܗܐ ܐܬܦܠܓܬܘܢ ܠܟܘܢ ܒܢܦܫܟܘܢ ܘܗܘܝܬܘܢ ܡܦܪܫܢܐ ܕܡܚܫܒܬܐ ܒܝܫܬܐ
5 Listen, my beloved brothers, did not God choose the poor of the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?
ܫܡܥܘ ܐܚܝ ܚܒܝܒܐ ܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܠܡܤܟܢܐ ܕܥܠܡܐ ܥܬܝܪܐ ܕܝܢ ܒܗܝܡܢܘܬܐ ܓܒܐ ܐܠܗܐ ܕܢܗܘܘܢ ܝܪܬܐ ܒܡܠܟܘܬܐ ܗܝ ܕܡܠܟ ܐܠܗܐ ܠܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܪܚܡܝܢ ܠܗ
6 But you have dishonored the poor! Is it not the rich who oppress you? Are they not the ones who drag you to court?
ܐܢܬܘܢ ܕܝܢ ܫܛܬܘܢܝܗܝ ܠܡܤܟܢܐ ܠܐ ܗܐ ܥܬܝܪܐ ܡܫܬܥܠܝܢ ܥܠܝܟܘܢ ܘܗܢܘܢ ܢܓܕܝܢ ܠܟܘܢ ܠܒܝܬ ܕܝܢܐ
7 Do they not insult the good name by which you have been called?
ܠܐ ܗܐ ܗܢܘܢ ܡܓܕܦܝܢ ܥܠ ܫܡܐ ܛܒܐ ܕܐܬܩܪܝ ܥܠܝܟܘܢ
8 If, however, you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.
ܘܐܢ ܢܡܘܤܐ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܒܗܕܐ ܡܫܠܡܝܬܘܢ ܐܝܟ ܕܟܬܝܒ ܕܬܪܚܡ ܠܩܪܝܒܟ ܐܝܟ ܢܦܫܟ ܫܦܝܪ ܥܒܕܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ
9 But if you favor certain people, you are committing sin, and you are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
ܐܢ ܕܝܢ ܒܐܦܐ ܢܤܒܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܚܛܝܬܐ ܥܒܕܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܘܡܬܟܘܢܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܡܢ ܢܡܘܤܐ ܐܝܟ ܥܒܪܝ ܥܠ ܢܡܘܤܐ
10 For whoever obeys the whole law, except that he stumbles in just a single way, has become guilty of breaking the whole law.
ܐܝܢܐ ܓܝܪ ܕܟܠܗ ܢܡܘܤܐ ܢܛܪ ܘܒܚܕܐ ܫܪܥ ܠܟܠܗ ܢܡܘܤܐ ܐܬܚܝܒ
11 For the one who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but if you do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
ܗܘ ܓܝܪ ܕܐܡܪ ܕܠܐ ܬܓܘܪ ܗܘ ܐܡܪ ܕܠܐ ܬܩܛܘܠ ܐܢ ܕܝܢ ܠܐ ܓܐܪ ܐܢܬ ܐܠܐ ܩܛܠ ܐܢܬ ܗܘܝܬ ܠܟ ܥܒܪ ܥܠ ܢܡܘܤܐ
12 So speak and act as those who will be judged by means of the law of freedom.
ܗܟܢܐ ܗܘܝܬܘܢ ܡܡܠܠܝܢ ܘܗܟܢܐ ܗܘܝܬܘܢ ܤܥܪܝܢ ܐܝܟ ܐܢܫܐ ܕܒܢܡܘܤܐ ܕܚܐܪܘܬܐ ܥܬܝܕܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܠܡܬܕܢܘ
13 For judgment comes without mercy to those who have shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
ܕܝܢܐ ܓܝܪ ܗܘܐ ܕܠܐ ܪܚܡܐ ܥܠ ܗܘ ܕܠܐ ܥܒܕ ܪܚܡܐ ܡܫܬܥܠܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܒܪܚܡܐ ܥܠ ܕܝܢܐ
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
ܡܢܐ ܗܢܝܢܐ ܐܚܝ ܐܢ ܐܢܫ ܐܡܪ ܕܐܝܬ ܠܝ ܗܝܡܢܘܬܐ ܘܥܒܕܐ ܠܝܬ ܠܗ ܕܠܡܐ ܡܫܟܚܐ ܗܝܡܢܘܬܗ ܕܬܚܝܘܗܝ
15 Suppose that a brother or sister is badly clothed and lacks food for the day.
ܘܐܢ ܐܚܐ ܐܘ ܚܬܐ ܢܗܘܘܢ ܥܪܛܠܝܝܢ ܘܚܤܝܪܝܢ ܤܝܒܪܬܐ ܕܝܘܡܐ
16 Suppose that one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm and be filled.” If you do not give them the things necessary for the body, what good is that?
ܘܢܐܡܪ ܠܗܘܢ ܐܢܫ ܡܢܟܘܢ ܙܠܘ ܒܫܠܡܐ ܫܚܢܘ ܘܤܒܥܘ ܘܠܐ ܬܬܠܘܢ ܠܗܘܢ ܤܢܝܩܘܬܗ ܕܦܓܪܐ ܡܢܐ ܗܢܝܢܐ
17 In the same way faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
ܗܟܢܐ ܐܦ ܗܝܡܢܘܬܐ ܕܠܐ ܥܒܕܐ ܡܝܬܐ ܗܝ ܒܠܚܘܕܝܗ
18 Yet someone may say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
ܐܡܪ ܓܝܪ ܐܢܫ ܠܟ ܐܝܬ ܠܟ ܗܝܡܢܘܬܐ ܘܠܝ ܐܝܬ ܠܝ ܥܒܕܐ ܚܘܢܝ ܗܝܡܢܘܬܟ ܕܠܐ ܥܒܕܐ ܘܐܢܐ ܡܚܘܐ ܐܢܐ ܠܟ ܗܝܡܢܘܬܝ ܡܢ ܥܒܕܝ
19 You believe that there is one God; you do well. But even the demons believe that, and they tremble.
ܡܗܝܡܢ ܐܢܬ ܕܚܕ ܗܘ ܐܠܗܐ ܫܦܝܪ ܥܒܕ ܐܢܬ ܐܦ ܫܐܕܐ ܡܗܝܡܢܝܢ ܘܪܥܠܝܢ
20 Do you want to know, foolish man, that faith without works is useless?
ܨܒܐ ܐܢܬ ܕܝܢ ܕܬܕܥ ܐܘ ܒܪܢܫܐ ܚܠܫܐ ܕܗܝܡܢܘܬܐ ܕܠܐ ܥܒܕܐ ܡܝܬܐ ܗܝ
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
ܐܒܘܢ ܐܒܪܗܡ ܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܡܢ ܥܒܕܐ ܐܙܕܕܩ ܕܐܤܩ ܠܐܝܤܚܩ ܒܪܗ ܥܠ ܡܕܒܚܐ
22 You see that faith worked with his works, and that by works his faith was fully developed.
ܚܙܐ ܐܢܬ ܕܗܝܡܢܘܬܗ ܤܝܥܬ ܠܥܒܕܘܗܝ ܘܡܢ ܥܒܕܐ ܗܝܡܢܘܬܗ ܐܬܓܡܪܬ
23 The scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.
ܘܫܠܡ ܟܬܒܐ ܕܐܡܪ ܕܗܝܡܢ ܐܒܪܗܡ ܒܐܠܗܐ ܘܐܬܚܫܒܬ ܠܗ ܠܙܕܝܩܘ ܘܪܚܡܐ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܐܬܩܪܝ
24 You see that it is by works that a man is justified, and not only by faith.
ܚܙܐ ܐܢܬ ܕܡܢ ܥܒܕܐ ܡܙܕܕܩ ܒܪܢܫܐ ܘܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܡܢ ܗܝܡܢܘܬܐ ܒܠܚܘܕ
25 In the same way also, was not Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she welcomed the messengers and sent them away by another road?
ܗܟܢܐ ܐܦ ܪܚܒ ܙܢܝܬܐ ܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܡܢ ܥܒܕܐ ܐܙܕܕܩܬ ܕܩܒܠܬ ܠܓܫܘܫܐ ܘܒܐܘܪܚܐ ܐܚܪܬܐ ܐܦܩܬ ܐܢܘܢ
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
ܐܝܟܢܐ ܕܦܓܪܐ ܕܠܐ ܪܘܚܐ ܡܝܬ ܗܘ ܗܟܢܐ ܐܦ ܗܝܡܢܘܬܐ ܕܠܐ ܥܒܕܐ ܡܝܬܐ ܗܝ

< James 2 >