James 2
1 My brethren, hold not, in respect of persons, the faith of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,
My brothers, practice your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, without showing partiality.
2 for if there may come into your synagogue a man with gold ring, in gay raiment, and there may come in also a poor man in vile raiment,
Suppose a man in fine clothing comes into your assembly wearing a gold ring, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in.
3 and ye may look upon him bearing the gay raiment, and may say to him, 'Thou — sit thou here well,' and to the poor man may say, 'Thou — stand thou there, or, Sit thou here under my footstool,' —
If you pay attention to the man who is wearing fine clothing and say to him, “Yoʋ sit here in a good place,” but you say to the poor man, “Yoʋ stand there, or sit here under my footstool,”
4 ye did not judge fully in yourselves, and did become ill-reasoning judges.
have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Hearken, my brethren beloved, did not God choose the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the reign that He promised to those loving 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 who love him?
6 and ye did dishonour the poor one; do not the rich oppress you and themselves draw you to judgment-seats;
But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Are they not the ones who drag you into court?
7 do they not themselves speak evil of the good name that was called upon you?
Do they not blaspheme the good name by which you are called?
8 If, indeed, royal law ye complete, according to the Writing, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,' — ye do well;
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “Yoʋ shall love yoʋr neighbor as yoʋrself,” you do well.
9 and if ye accept persons, sin ye do work, being convicted by the law as transgressors;
But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 for whoever the whole law shall keep, and shall stumble in one [point], he hath become guilty of all;
For whoever keeps the entire law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of it all.
11 for He who is saying, 'Thou mayest not commit adultery,' said also, 'Thou mayest do no murder;' and if thou shalt not commit adultery, and shalt commit murder, thou hast become a transgressor of law;
For he who said, “Yoʋ shall not commit adultery,” also said, “Yoʋ shall not murder.” Now if yoʋ do not commit adultery but do commit murder, yoʋ have become a transgressor of the law.
12 so speak ye and so do, as about by a law of liberty to be judged,
Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.
13 for the judgment without kindness [is] to him not having done kindness, and exult doth kindness over judgment.
For judgment is without mercy to anyone who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
14 What [is] the profit, my brethren, if faith, any one may speak of having, and works he may not have? is that faith able to save him?
What is the benefit, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
15 and if a brother or sister may be naked, and may be destitute of the daily food,
If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food,
16 and any one of you may say to them, 'Depart ye in peace, be warmed, and be filled,' and may not give to them the things needful for the body, what [is] the profit?
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them anything to address their physical needs, what is the benefit?
17 so also the faith, if it may not have works, is dead by itself.
In the same way faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But say may some one, Thou hast faith, and I have works, shew me thy faith out of thy works, and I will shew thee out of my works my faith:
But someone will say, “Yoʋ have faith, and I have works.” Show me yoʋr faith by yoʋr works, and I, by my works, will show yoʋ my faith.
19 thou — thou dost believe that God is one; thou dost well, and the demons believe, and they shudder!
Yoʋ believe that God is one; yoʋ do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
20 And dost thou wish to know, O vain man, that the faith apart from the works is dead?
Do yoʋ want to be shown, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Abraham our father — was not he declared righteous out of works, having brought up Isaac his son upon the altar?
Was not our father Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22 dost thou see that the faith was working with his works, and out of the works the faith was perfected?
Do yoʋ see how faith was active along with his works, and by works his faith was brought to completion?
23 and fulfilled was the Writing that is saying, 'And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him — to righteousness;' and, 'Friend of God' he was called.
And 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.
24 Ye see, then, that out of works is man declared righteous, and not out of faith only;
You see then that a person is justified by works, and not by faith alone.
25 and in like manner also Rahab the harlot — was she not out of works declared righteous, having received the messengers, and by another way having sent forth?
In the same way, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
26 for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also the faith apart from the works is dead.
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.
