James 2
1 My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with partiality.
My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord of glory, Jesus Christ, with respect of persons.
2 For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in,
For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring, in splendid apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment,
3 and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing and say, “Sit here in a good place;” and you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool”
and ye have respect to him that weareth the splendid apparel, and say, Sit thou here in a good place, and say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or, Sit under my footstool,
4 haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
have ye not been partial among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him?
Hearken, my beloved brethren. Did not God choose the poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and personally drag you before the courts?
but ye have despised the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and do not they drag you before the judgment-seats?
7 Don’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?
Do not they blaspheme the worthy name by which ye are called?
8 However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.
If indeed ye fulfill the royal law, according to the scripture, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,” ye do well.
9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
For whoever hath kept the whole law, and yet hath offended in one point, hath become guilty of all.
11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” said also, “Do not kill.” Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou hast become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak and so do as men who are to be judged by the law of freedom.
So speak, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
For the judgment shall be without mercy to him that showed no mercy. Mercy glorieth against judgment.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?
What doth it profit, my brethren, if any one say that he hath faith, and have not works? Can his faith save him?
15 And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 and one of you tells them, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled;” yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it?
and one of you say to them, Depart in peace, be warmed and be filled, notwithstanding ye give them not the things needful for the body, what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.
So also faith, if it hath not works, is dead in itself.
18 Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
But some one will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; show me thy faith without works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.
19 You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder.
Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well; the demons also believe, and tremble.
20 But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is idle?
21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
Was not Abraham our father accepted as righteous through works, when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected.
Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect.
23 So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.
And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness;” and he was called the friend of God.
24 You see then that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.
Ye see that by works a man is accounted as righteous, and not by faith only.
25 In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot accounted as righteous through works, when she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
