Iacobi 2
1 Fratres mei, nolite in personarum acceptione habere fidem Domini nostri Jesu Christi gloriæ.
My brothers, do not hold to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with favoritism toward certain people.
2 Etenim si introierit in conventum vestrum vir aureum annulum habens in veste candida, introierit autem et pauper in sordido habitu,
Suppose that someone enters your meeting wearing gold rings and fine clothes, and there also enters a poor man in dirty clothes.
3 et intendatis in eum qui indutus est veste præclara, et dixeritis ei: Tu sede hic bene: pauperi autem dicatis: Tu sta illic; aut sede sub scabello pedum meorum:
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 nonne judicatis apud vosmetipsos, et facti estis judices cogitationum iniquarum?
are you not judging among yourselves? Have you not become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Audite, fratres mei dilectissimi: nonne Deus elegit pauperes in hoc mundo, divites in fide, et hæredes regni, quod repromisit Deus diligentibus se?
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 vos autem exhonorastis pauperem. Nonne divites per potentiam opprimunt vos, et ipsi trahunt vos ad judicia?
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 nonne ipsi blasphemant bonum nomen, quod invocatum est super vos?
Do they not insult the good name by which you have been called?
8 Si tamen legem perficitis regalem secundum Scripturas: Diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum: bene facitis:
If, however, you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.
9 si autem personas accipitis, peccatum operamini, redarguti a lege quasi transgressores.
But if you favor certain people, you are committing sin, and you are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
10 Quicumque autem totam legem servaverit, offendat autem in uno, factus est omnium reus.
For whoever obeys the whole law, except that he stumbles in just a single way, has become guilty of breaking the whole law.
11 Qui enim dixit: Non mœchaberis, dixit et: Non occides. Quod si non mœchaberis, occides autem, factus es transgressor legis.
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 Sic loquimini, et sic facite sicut per legem libertatis incipientes judicari.
So speak and act as those who will be judged by means of the law of freedom.
13 Judicium enim sine misericordia illi qui non fecit misericordiam: superexaltat autem misericordia judicium.
For judgment comes without mercy to those who have shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
14 Quid proderit, fratres mei, si fidem quis dicat se habere, opera autem non habeat? numquid poterit fides salvare eum?
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
15 Si autem frater et soror nudi sint, et indigeant victu quotidiano,
Suppose that a brother or sister is badly clothed and lacks food for the day.
16 dicat autem aliquis ex vobis illis: Ite in pace, calefacimini et saturamini: non dederitis autem eis quæ necessaria sunt corpori, quid proderit?
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 Sic et fides, si non habeat opera, mortua est in semetipsa.
In the same way faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 Sed dicet quis: Tu fidem habes, et ego opera habeo: ostende mihi fidem tuam sine operibus: et ego ostendam tibi ex operibus fidem meam.
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 Tu credis quoniam unus est Deus: bene facis: et dæmones credunt, et contremiscunt.
You believe that there is one God; you do well. But even the demons believe that, and they tremble.
20 Vis autem scire, o homo inanis, quoniam fides sine operibus mortua est?
Do you want to know, foolish man, that faith without works is useless?
21 Abraham pater noster nonne ex operibus justificatus est, offerens Isaac filium suum super altare?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Vides quoniam fides cooperabatur operibus illius: et ex operibus fides consummata est?
You see that faith worked with his works, and that by works his faith was fully developed.
23 Et suppleta est Scriptura, dicens: Credidit Abraham Deo, et reputatum est illi ad justitiam, et amicus Dei appellatus est.
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 Videtis quoniam ex operibus justificatur homo, et non ex fide tantum?
You see that it is by works that a man is justified, and not only by faith.
25 Similiter et Rahab meretrix, nonne ex operibus justificata est, suscipiens nuntios, et alia via ejiciens?
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 Sicut enim corpus sine spiritu mortuum est, ita et fides sine operibus mortua est.
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
