James 2
1 My brethren, do not, with respect for persons, be holding the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory.
My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons.
2 For, if there enter into your synagogue a man wearing gold rings in gay clothing, and there enter a destitute man also, in soiled clothing, —
For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing;
3 And ye eye him that hath on the gay clothing, and say, Thou, be sitting here, pleasantly, —and, unto the destitute man, say—Thou, stand, or sit there under my footstool,
and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool;
4 Would ye not have been led to make distinctions among yourselves, and have become judges with wicked reasonings?
do ye not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Hearken! my brethren beloved: —Hath not, God, chosen the destitute in the world [to be] rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world [to be] rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?
6 Whereas, ye, have dishonoured the destitute man! Do not, the rich, oppress you? and, themselves, drag you into courts of justice?
But ye have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats?
7 Do not, they, defame the noble name which hath been invoked upon you?
Do not they blaspheme the honorable name by which ye are called?
8 If ye are, indeed, fulfilling, a royal law, according to the scripture—Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, nobly, are ye doing;
Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well:
9 But, if ye are shewing respect of persons, sin, are ye working, being convicted by the law as transgressors!
but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For, a man who shall keep, the whole law, but shall stumble in one thing, hath become, for all things, liable, —
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one [point], he is become guilty of all.
11 For, he that hath said—Do not commit adultery, hath also said—Do not commit murder, —now, if thou dost not commit adultery, but dost commit murder, thou hast become a transgressor of law.
For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
12 So, be speaking, and, so, doing, as they who, through means of a law of freedom, are about to be judged;
So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty.
13 For, the judgment, [will be] without mercy, unto him that hath shewed no mercy: Mercy, boasteth, over judgment.
For judgment [is] without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment.
14 What profit, my brethren, —if one should be saying he hath, faith, but hath not, works; can his faith save him?
What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him?
15 If, a brother or sister, should be naked, and coming short of the daily food,
If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food,
16 And one from among you should say unto them—Withdraw in peace, be getting warmed and fed, but should not give them the things needful for the body, What the profit?
and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 So, also, faith, if it have not works, is dead, by itself.
Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.
18 But one will say, —Thou, hast faith, and, I, have works, show me thy faith apart from thy works, and, I, unto thee, will shew, by my works, my faith.
Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from [thy] works, and I by my works will show thee [my] faith.
19 Thou believest that God is, one: thou doest, well—Even the demons believe, and shudder!
Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder.
20 But art thou willing to learn, O empty man! that, faith, apart from works, is, idle?
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren?
21 Abraham our father, was it not, by works, he was declared righteous—when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Thou seest that, his faith, had been working together with his works, and by his works did his faith become full-grown, —
Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect;
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith—And Abraham believed God, And it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and, God’s friend, was he called:
and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God.
24 Ye see that—by works, a man is declared righteous, and not by faith alone.
Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.
25 And, in like manner also, Rahab the harlot, Was it not, by works, she was declared righteous, when she gave welcome unto the messengers, and, by another way, urged them forth?
And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?
26 Just as, the body, apart from spirit, is dead, so, our faith also, apart from works, is dead.
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
