James 2
1 My brothers, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
My friends, are you really trying to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with discrimination?
2 For if there come to your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
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 And you have respect to him that wears the gay clothing, and say to him, Sit you here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand you there, or sit here under my footstool:
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 Are you not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
Haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves, and used evil standards of judgement?
5 Listen, my beloved brothers, Has not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to them that love him?
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 But you have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
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 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which you are called?
Isn’t it they who malign that honourable name spoken over you at your baptism?
8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well:
If you keep the royal law which runs – “You must love your neighbour as you love yourself,” you are doing right;
9 But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
but, if you discriminate, you commit a sin, and stand convicted by that same law of being offenders against it.
10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
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 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if you commit no adultery, yet if you kill, you are become a transgressor of the law.
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 So speak you, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
Therefore, speak and act as people who are to be judged by the “Law of freedom.”
13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has showed no mercy; and mercy rejoices against judgment.
For there will be justice without mercy for the person who has not acted mercifully. Mercy triumphs over Justice.
14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man say he has faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
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 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Suppose some brother or sister should be in need of clothes and of daily bread,
16 And one of you say to them, Depart in peace, be you warmed and filled; notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body; what does it profit?
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 Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone.
In just the same way faith, if not followed by actions, is, by itself, a lifeless thing.
18 Yes, a man may say, You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
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 You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
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 But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Now do you really want to understand, fool, how it is that faith without actions leads to nothing?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?
Look at our ancestor, Abraham. Was he not justified by his actions after he had offered his son, Isaac, on the altar?
22 See you how faith worked with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
You see how, in his case, faith and actions went together; that his faith was perfected as the result of his actions;
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
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 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
You see, then, that a person is justified by actions, and not by faith alone.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
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 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Just as a body is dead without a spirit, so faith is dead without actions.
