< James 2 >
1 Mi britheren, nyle ye haue the feith of oure Lord Jhesu Crist of glorie, in accepcioun of persoones.
2 For if a man `that hath a goldun ring, and in a feire clothing, cometh in youre cumpany, and a pore man entrith in a foul clothing,
3 and if ye biholden in to hym that is clothid with clere clothing, and if ye seie to hym, Sitte thou here wel; but to the pore man ye seien, Stonde thou there, ethir sitte vndur the stool of my feet; whether ye demen not anentis you silf,
4 and ben maad domesmen of wickid thouytis?
5 Heere ye, my moost dereworthe britheren, whethir God chees not pore men in this world, riche in feith, and eiris of the kyngdom, that God bihiyte to men that louen him?
6 But ye han dispisid the pore man. Whether riche men oppressen not you bi power, and thei drawen you to domes?
7 Whether thei blasfemen not the good name, that is clepid to help on you?
8 Netheles if ye performen the kingis lawe, bi scripturis, Thou schalt loue thi neiybour as thi silf, ye don wel.
9 But if ye taken persones, ye worchen synne, and ben repreued of the lawe, as trespasseris.
10 And who euere kepith al the lawe, but offendith in oon, he is maad gilti of alle.
11 For he that seide, Thou schalt do no letcherie, seide also, Thou schalt not sle; that if thou doist not letcherie, but thou sleest, thou art maad trespassour of the lawe.
12 Thus speke ye, and thus do ye, as bigynnynge to be demyd bi the lawe of fredom.
13 For whi dom with out merci is to hym, that doith no mercy; but merci aboue reisith dom.
14 Mi britheren, what schal it profite, if ony man seie that he hath feith, but he hath not the werkis? whether feith schal mowe saue hym?
15 And if a brother ethir sister be nakid, and han nede of ech daies lyuelode,
16 and if ony of you seie to hem, Go ye in pees, be ye maad hoot, and be ye fillid; but if ye yyuen not to hem tho thingis that ben necessarie to bodi, what schal it profite?
17 So also feith, if it hath not werkis, is deed in it silf.
18 But summan schal seie, Thou hast feith, and Y haue werkis; schewe thou to me thi feith with out werkis, and Y schal schewe to thee my feith of werkis.
19 Thou bileuest, that o God is; thou doist wel; and deuelis bileuen, and tremblen.
20 But wolt thou wite, thou veyn man, that feith with out werkis is idul?
21 Whether Abraham, oure fadir, was not iustified of werkis, offringe Ysaac, his sone, on the auter?
22 Therfor thou seest, that feith wrouyte with hise werkis, and his feith was fillid of werkis.
23 And the scripture was fillid, seiynge, Abraham bileuede to God, and it was arettid to hym to riytwisnesse, and he was clepid the freend of God.
24 Ye seen that a man is iustified of werkis, and not of feith oneli.
25 In lijk maner, and whether also Raab, the hoore, was not iustified of werkis, and resseyuede the messangeris, and sente hem out bi anothir weie?
26 For as the bodi with out spirit is deed, so also feith with out werkis is deed.
