Ιακωβου 2
1 αδελφοι μου μη εν προσωποληψιαις εχετε την πιστιν του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου της δοξης
My friends, as trusting believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, you must not show favoritism.
2 εαν γαρ εισελθη εις την συναγωγην υμων ανηρ χρυσοδακτυλιος εν εσθητι λαμπρα εισελθη δε και πτωχος εν ρυπαρα εσθητι
Imagine that a man comes into your synagogue wearing gold rings and fine clothes, and then a poor man comes in dressed in rags.
3 και επιβλεψητε επι τον φορουντα την εσθητα την λαμπραν και ειπητε αυτω συ καθου ωδε καλως και τω πτωχω ειπητε συ στηθι εκει η καθου ωδε υπο το υποποδιον μου
If you pay special attention to the well-dressed man, and say, “Please sit here in a seat of honor,” while you say to the poor man, “Stand over there, or sit on the floor by my feet,”
4 και ου διεκριθητε εν εαυτοις και εγενεσθε κριται διαλογισμων πονηρων
haven't you discriminated and judged with bad motives?
5 ακουσατε αδελφοι μου αγαπητοι ουχ ο θεος εξελεξατο τους πτωχους του κοσμου τουτου πλουσιους εν πιστει και κληρονομους της βασιλειας ης επηγγειλατο τοις αγαπωσιν αυτον
Listen, my dear friends: Didn't God choose those who the world considers poor to be rich in their trust in him, and to inherit the kingdom he promised to those who love him?
6 υμεις δε ητιμασατε τον πτωχον ουχ οι πλουσιοι καταδυναστευουσιν υμων και αυτοι ελκουσιν υμας εις κριτηρια
But you've treated the poor shamefully. Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you before the courts?
7 ουκ αυτοι βλασφημουσιν το καλον ονομα το επικληθεν εφ υμας
Don't they insult the honorable name of the one who called you and to whom you belong?
8 ει μεντοι νομον τελειτε βασιλικον κατα την γραφην αγαπησεις τον πλησιον σου ως σεαυτον καλως ποιειτε
If you really observe the royal law of Scripture: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” then you do well.
9 ει δε προσωποληπτειτε αμαρτιαν εργαζεσθε ελεγχομενοι υπο του νομου ως παραβαται
But if you show favoritism, you're sinning. The law convicts you as guilty of breaking it.
10 οστις γαρ ολον τον νομον τηρησει πταισει δε εν ενι γεγονεν παντων ενοχος
Someone who observes everything in the law but fails in just one part is guilty of breaking it all.
11 ο γαρ ειπων μη μοιχευσης ειπεν και μη φονευσης ει δε ου μοιχευσεις φονευσεις δε γεγονας παραβατης νομου
God told you not to commit adultery, and he also told you not to kill. So if you don't commit adultery, but you do kill, you've become a law-breaker.
12 ουτως λαλειτε και ουτως ποιειτε ως δια νομου ελευθεριας μελλοντες κρινεσθαι
You should speak and act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom.
13 η γαρ κρισις ανιλεως τω μη ποιησαντι ελεος και κατακαυχαται ελεος κρισεως
Anyone who doesn't show mercy will be judged without mercy. Yet mercy wins out over judgment!
14 τι το οφελος αδελφοι μου εαν πιστιν λεγη τις εχειν εργα δε μη εχη μη δυναται η πιστις σωσαι αυτον
My friends, what's the good of someone saying they trust in God when they don't do what's good and right? Can such “trust” save them?
15 εαν δε αδελφος η αδελφη γυμνοι υπαρχωσιν και λειπομενοι ωσιν της εφημερου τροφης
If a brother or sister doesn't have clothes, or food for the day,
16 ειπη δε τις αυτοις εξ υμων υπαγετε εν ειρηνη θερμαινεσθε και χορταζεσθε μη δωτε δε αυτοις τα επιτηδεια του σωματος τι το οφελος
and you say to them, “Blessings on you! Stay warm and have a good meal!” and you don't provide what they need to survive, what's the good of that?
17 ουτως και η πιστις εαν μη εργα εχη νεκρα εστιν καθ εαυτην
By itself even your trust-based faith in God is dead and worthless if you don't actually do what's good and right.
18 αλλ ερει τις συ πιστιν εχεις καγω εργα εχω δειξον μοι την πιστιν σου χωρις των εργων σου καγω δειξω σοι εκ των εργων μου την πιστιν μου
Someone may argue, “You have your trust in God; I have my good deeds.” Well, show me your trust in God without good deeds, and I will show you my trust in God by my good deeds!
19 συ πιστευεις οτι ο θεος εις εστιν καλως ποιεις και τα δαιμονια πιστευουσιν και φρισσουσιν
You believe that God is one God? That's great—but demons believe in God too, and they're scared of him!
20 θελεις δε γνωναι ω ανθρωπε κενε οτι η πιστις χωρις των εργων νεκρα εστιν
You foolish people! Don't you know that trust in God without doing what's right is worthless?
21 αβρααμ ο πατηρ ημων ουκ εξ εργων εδικαιωθη ανενεγκας ισαακ τον υιον αυτου επι το θυσιαστηριον
Wasn't our father Abraham made right by what he did—by offering his son Isaac on the altar?
22 βλεπεις οτι η πιστις συνηργει τοις εργοις αυτου και εκ των εργων η πιστις ετελειωθη
You notice that his trust in God worked together with what he did, and through what he did his trust in God was made complete.
23 και επληρωθη η γραφη η λεγουσα επιστευσεν δε αβρααμ τω θεω και ελογισθη αυτω εις δικαιοσυνην και φιλος θεου εκληθη
In this way scripture was fulfilled: “Abraham trusted God, and this was considered as him doing right,” and he was called the friend of God.
24 ορατε τοινυν οτι εξ εργων δικαιουται ανθρωπος και ουκ εκ πιστεως μονον
You see that people are made right by what they do, and not just by trusting God.
25 ομοιως δε και ρααβ η πορνη ουκ εξ εργων εδικαιωθη υποδεξαμενη τους αγγελους και ετερα οδω εκβαλουσα
In the same way, wasn't Rahab the prostitute made right by what she did when she looked after the messengers and then sent them away by a different road?
26 ωσπερ γαρ το σωμα χωρις πνευματος νεκρον εστιν ουτως και η πιστις χωρις των εργων νεκρα εστιν
Just as the body is dead without the spirit, trust in God is dead if you don't do what's right.
