James 2
1 My brethren, hold not, in respect of persons, the faith of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,
My brothers, do not hold to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with favoritism toward certain people.
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 that someone enters your meeting wearing gold rings and fine clothes, and there also enters a poor man in dirty clothes.
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 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,”
4 ye did not judge fully in yourselves, and did become ill-reasoning judges.
are you not judging among yourselves? Have you not 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, 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?
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! Is it not the rich who oppress you? Are they not the ones who drag you to court?
7 do they not themselves speak evil of the good name that was called upon you?
Do they not insult the good name by which you have been called?
8 If, indeed, royal law ye complete, according to the Writing, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,' — ye do well;
If, however, you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.
9 and if ye accept persons, sin ye do work, being convicted by the law as transgressors;
But if you favor certain people, you are committing sin, and you are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
10 for whoever the whole law shall keep, and shall stumble in one [point], he hath become guilty of all;
For whoever obeys the whole law, except that he stumbles in just a single way, has become guilty of breaking the whole law.
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 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.
12 so speak ye and so do, as about by a law of liberty to be judged,
So speak and act as those who will be judged by means of the law of freedom.
13 for the judgment without kindness [is] to him not having done kindness, and exult doth kindness over judgment.
For judgment comes without mercy to those who have shown no 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 good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
15 and if a brother or sister may be naked, and may be destitute of the daily food,
Suppose that a brother or sister is badly clothed and lacks food for the day.
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?
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?
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:
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.
19 thou — thou dost believe that God is one; thou dost well, and the demons believe, and they shudder!
You believe that there is one God; you do well. But even the demons believe that, and they tremble.
20 And dost thou wish to know, O vain man, that the faith apart from the works is dead?
Do you want to know, foolish man, that faith without works is useless?
21 Abraham our father — was not he declared righteous out of works, having brought up Isaac his son upon the altar?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22 dost thou see that the faith was working with his works, and out of the works the faith was perfected?
You see that faith worked with his works, and that by works his faith was fully developed.
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.
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 that it is by works that a man is justified, and not only by faith.
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 also, was not Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she welcomed the messengers and sent them away by another road?
26 for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also the faith apart from the works is dead.
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
