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 Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, in a partial 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 synagogue a man with a gold ring in fine clothes, and there come in also a poor man in a mean habit;
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 turn your eyes toward him that weareth the fine clothes, and say to him, Sit thou here in an honorable place; and say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
4 haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
do ye not make a partial difference within yourselves, and become judges that reason wickedly?
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?
Hear, my beloved brethren; hath not God chosen the poor of this world who are rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which He hath promised to them that love Him? but ye have slighted the poor.
6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and personally drag you before the courts?
Do not the rich tyrannize over you; and drag you to their tribunals?
7 Don’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?
Do they not blaspheme the glorious 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 ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, which saith, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.
9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
But if ye partially respect persons, ye commit sin, being 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 whosoever shall keep the whole law besides, but offend in one point, he is under the penalty 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 that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou do not commit adultery, but committest murder, thou art 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 act, as those who are to 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 he shall have judgement without mercy, that hath not shewn mercy: but mercy triumpheth over judgement.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?
What is the advantage, my brethren, if any one say that he has faith, and he hath not works, can faith alone 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, Go in peace, be ye warmed and be ye filled: but ye give them not the necessaries of life, what profit is it to them?
17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.
so faith, if it have not works, being alone, is dead.
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 one may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith by thy works, and I will shew 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 there is one God; thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.
20 But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?
But desirest thou to know, O vain man, that faith without works, is dead?
21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
consider, Was not our father Abraham justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
22 You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected.
Thou seest that faith co-operated with his works, and that by his works his faith was perfected.
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 counted 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 then that a man is justified by works, 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 also was not the harlot Rahab justified by works, when she entertained the spies, and let 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 faith without works is dead also.
