Jakob 2
1 Mine Brødre! Eders Tro på vor Herre Jesus Kristus, den herliggjorte, være ikke forbunden med Persons Anseelse!
My friends, are you really trying to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with discrimination?
2 Når der nemlig kommer en Mand ind i eders Forsamling med Guldring på Fingeren, i prægtig Klædning, men der også kommer en fattig ind i smudsig Klædning,
Suppose a visitor should enter your synagogue, with gold rings and in grand clothes, and suppose a poor man should come in also, in shabby clothes,
3 og I fæste Øjet på den, som bærer den prægtige Klædning og sige: Sæt du dig her på den gode Plads, og I sige til den fattige: Stå du der eller sæt dig nede ved min Fodskammel:
and you show more respect to the visitor who is wearing grand clothes, and say – ‘There is a good seat for you here,’ but to the poor man – ‘You must stand; or sit down there by my footstool,’
4 ere I så ikke komne i Strid med eder selv og blevne Dommere med slette Tanker?
Haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves, and used evil standards of judgement?
5 Hører, mine elskede Brødre! Har Gud ikke udvalgt de for Verden fattige til at være rige i Tro og Arvinger til det Rige, som han har forjættet dem, der elske ham?
Listen, my dear friends. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the things of this world to be rich through their faith, and to possess the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him?
6 Men I have vanæret den fattige! Er det ikke de rige, som underkue eder, og er det ikke dem, som slæbe eder for Domstolene?
But you – you insult the poor man! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you? Isn’t it they who drag you into law courts?
7 Er det ikke dem, som bespotte det skønne Navn, som er nævnet over eder?
Isn’t it they who malign that honourable name spoken over you at your baptism?
8 Ganske vist, dersom I opfylde den kongelige Lov efter Skriften: "Du skal elske din Næste som dig selv", gøre I ret;
If you keep the royal law which runs – “You must love your neighbour as you love yourself,” you are doing right;
9 men dersom I anse Personer, gøre I Synd og revses af Loven som Overtrædere.
but, if you discriminate, you commit a sin, and stand convicted by that same law of being offenders against it.
10 Thi den, som holder hele Loven, men støder an i eet Stykke, er bleven skyldig i alle.
For a person who has laid the Law, as a whole, to heart, but has failed in one particular, is accountable for breaking all its provisions.
11 Thi han, som sagde: "Du må ikke bedrive Hor," sagde også: "Du må ikke slå ihjel." Dersom du da ikke bedriver Hor, men slår ihjel, da er du bleven en Lovens Overtræder.
He who said “You must not commit adultery” also said “You must not murder.” If, then, you commit murder but not adultery, you are still an offender against the Law.
12 Taler således og gører således, som de, der skulle dømmes efter Frihedens Lov.
Therefore, speak and act as people who are to be judged by the “Law of freedom.”
13 Thi Dommen er ubarmhjertig imod den, som ikke har øvet Barmhjertighed; Barmhjertighed træder frimodigt op imod Dommen.
For there will be justice without mercy for the person who has not acted mercifully. Mercy triumphs over Justice.
14 Hvad gavner det, mine Brødre! om nogen siger, han har Tro, men ikke har Gerninger? mon Troen kan frelse ham?
My friends, what good is it if someone claims that they have faith, but they do not prove it by actions? Can such faith save them?
15 Dersom en Broder eller Søster er nøgen og fattes den daglige Føde,
Suppose some brother or sister should be in need of clothes and of daily bread,
16 og en af eder siger til dem: Går bort i Fred, varmer eder og mætter eder, men I ikke give dem det, som hører til Legemets Nødtørst, hvad gavner det?
and one of you says to them – ‘Go, and peace be with you; keep warm and eat well!’ and yet you do not actually give them the necessities of life, what good would it be to them?
17 Ligeså er også Troen, dersom den ikke har Gerninger, død i sig selv.
In just the same way faith, if not followed by actions, is, by itself, a lifeless thing.
18 Men man vil sige: Du har Tro, og jeg har Gerninger. Vis mig din Tro uden Gerningerne, og jeg vil af mine Gerninger vise dig Troen.
Someone, indeed, may say – ‘You are a man of faith, and I am a man of action.’ ‘Then show me your faith,’ I reply, ‘apart from any actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions.’
19 Du tror, at Gud er een; deri gør du ret; også de onde Ånder tro det og skælve.
It is a part of your faith, is it not, that there is one God? Good; yet even the demons have that faith, and tremble at the thought.
20 Men vil du vide, du tomme Menneske! at Troen uden Gerninger er unyttig?
Now do you really want to understand, fool, how it is that faith without actions leads to nothing?
21 Blev ikke vor Fader Abraham retfærdiggjort af Gerninger, da han ofrede sin Søn Isak på Alteret?
Look at our ancestor, Abraham. Was he not justified by his actions after he had offered his son, Isaac, on the altar?
22 Du ser, at Troen virkede sammen med hans Gerninger, og ved Gerningerne blev Troen fuldkommet,
You see how, in his case, faith and actions went together; that his faith was perfected as the result of his actions;
23 og Skriften blev opfyldt, som siger: "Abraham troede Gud, og det blev regnet ham til Retfærdighed", og han blev kaldet Guds Ven.
and that in this way the words of scripture came true – ‘Abraham believed God, and that was regarded by God as righteousness,’ and ‘He was called the friend of God.’
24 I se, at et Menneske retfærdiggøres af Gerninger, og ikke af Tro alene.
You see, then, that a person is justified by actions, and not by faith alone.
25 Ligeså Skøgen Rahab, blev ikke også hun retfærdiggjort af Gerninger, da hun tog imod Sendebudene og lod dem slippe bort ad en anden Vej?
Wasn’t it the same with the prostitute, Rahab? Was she not justified by her actions, after she had welcomed the messengers and helped them escape by another road?
26 Thi ligesom Legemet er dødt uden Ånd, således er også Troen død uden Gerninger.
Just as a body is dead without a spirit, so faith is dead without actions.
