James 2
1 My brothers, do not hold to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with favoritism toward certain people.
My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.
2 Suppose that someone enters your meeting wearing gold rings and fine clothes, and there also enters a poor man in dirty clothes.
Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.
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,”
If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,”
4 are you not judging among yourselves? Have you not become judges with evil thoughts?
have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
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?
Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
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?
But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?
7 Do they not insult the good name by which you have been called?
Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name by which you have been called?
8 If, however, you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.
If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
9 But if you favor certain people, you are committing sin, and you are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For whoever obeys the whole law, except that he stumbles in just a single way, has become guilty of breaking the whole law.
Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
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.
For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 So speak and act as those who will be judged by means of the law of freedom.
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.
13 For judgment comes without mercy to those who have shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
15 Suppose that a brother or sister is badly clothed and lacks food for the day.
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
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?
If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that?
17 In the same way faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.
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.
But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
19 You believe that there is one God; you do well. But even the demons believe that, and they tremble.
You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 Do you want to know, foolish man, that faith without works is useless?
O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see that faith worked with his works, and that by works his faith was fully developed.
You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did.
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.
And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.
24 You see that it is by works that a man is justified, and not only by faith.
As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone.
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?
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies and sent them off on another route?
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
