Ιακωβου 2
1 αδελφοι μου μη εν προσωποληψιαις εχετε την πιστιν του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου της δοξης
My friends, are you really trying to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with discrimination?
2 εαν γαρ εισελθη εις την συναγωγην υμων ανηρ χρυσοδακτυλιος εν εσθητι λαμπρα εισελθη δε και πτωχος εν ρυπαρα εσθητι
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 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
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 και ου διεκριθητε εν εαυτοις και εγενεσθε κριται διαλογισμων πονηρων
Haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves, and used evil standards of judgement?
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. 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 υμεις δε ητιμασατε τον πτωχον ουχ οι πλουσιοι καταδυναστευουσιν υμων και αυτοι ελκουσιν υμας εις κριτηρια
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 ουκ αυτοι βλασφημουσιν το καλον ονομα το επικληθεν εφ υμας
Isn’t it they who malign that honourable name spoken over you at your baptism?
8 ει μεντοι νομον τελειτε βασιλικον κατα την γραφην αγαπησεις τον πλησιον σου ως σεαυτον καλως ποιειτε
If you keep the royal law which runs – “You must love your neighbour as you love yourself,” you are doing right;
9 ει δε προσωποληπτειτε αμαρτιαν εργαζεσθε ελεγχομενοι υπο του νομου ως παραβαται
but, if you discriminate, you commit a sin, and stand convicted by that same law of being offenders against it.
10 οστις γαρ ολον τον νομον τηρησει πταισει δε εν ενι γεγονεν παντων ενοχος
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 ο γαρ ειπων μη μοιχευσης ειπεν και μη φονευσης ει δε ου μοιχευσεις φονευσεις δε γεγονας παραβατης νομου
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 ουτως λαλειτε και ουτως ποιειτε ως δια νομου ελευθεριας μελλοντες κρινεσθαι
Therefore, speak and act as people who are to be judged by the “Law of freedom.”
13 η γαρ κρισις ανιλεως τω μη ποιησαντι ελεος και κατακαυχαται ελεος κρισεως
For there will be justice without mercy for the person who has not acted mercifully. Mercy triumphs over Justice.
14 τι το οφελος αδελφοι μου εαν πιστιν λεγη τις εχειν εργα δε μη εχη μη δυναται η πιστις σωσαι αυτον
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 εαν δε αδελφος η αδελφη γυμνοι υπαρχωσιν και λειπομενοι ωσιν της εφημερου τροφης
Suppose some brother or sister should be in need of clothes and of daily bread,
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 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 ουτως και η πιστις εαν μη εργα εχη νεκρα εστιν καθ εαυτην
In just the same way faith, if not followed by actions, is, by itself, a lifeless thing.
18 αλλ ερει τις συ πιστιν εχεις καγω εργα εχω δειξον μοι την πιστιν σου εκ των εργων σου καγω δειξω σοι εκ των εργων μου την πιστιν μου
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 συ πιστευεις οτι ο θεος εις εστιν καλως ποιεις και τα δαιμονια πιστευουσιν και φρισσουσιν
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 θελεις δε γνωναι ω ανθρωπε κενε οτι η πιστις χωρις των εργων νεκρα εστιν
Now do you really want to understand, fool, how it is that faith without actions leads to nothing?
21 αβρααμ ο πατηρ ημων ουκ εξ εργων εδικαιωθη ανενεγκας ισαακ τον υιον αυτου επι το θυσιαστηριον
Look at our ancestor, Abraham. Was he not justified by his actions after he had offered his son, Isaac, on the altar?
22 βλεπεις οτι η πιστις συνηργει τοις εργοις αυτου και εκ των εργων η πιστις ετελειωθη
You see how, in his case, faith and actions went together; that his faith was perfected as the result of his actions;
23 και επληρωθη η γραφη η λεγουσα επιστευσεν δε αβρααμ τω θεω και ελογισθη αυτω εις δικαιοσυνην και φιλος θεου εκληθη
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 ορατε τοινυν οτι εξ εργων δικαιουται ανθρωπος και ουκ εκ πιστεως μονον
You see, then, that a person is justified by actions, and not by faith alone.
25 ομοιως δε και ρααβ η πορνη ουκ εξ εργων εδικαιωθη υποδεξαμενη τους αγγελους και ετερα οδω εκβαλουσα
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 ωσπερ γαρ το σωμα χωρις πνευματος νεκρον εστιν ουτως και η πιστις χωρις των εργων νεκρα εστιν
Just as a body is dead without a spirit, so faith is dead without actions.
