James — Chapter 2

¹My brothers, don`t hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons.

²For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your assembly, and there come in also a poor man in filthy clothing;

³and 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;"

⁴haven`t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

⁵Listen, 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?

⁶But you have dishonored the poor man. Don`t the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?

⁷Don`t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?

⁸However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well.

⁹But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

¹⁰For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he has become guilty of all.

¹¹For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," said also, "Do not commit murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

¹²So speak, and so do, as men who are to be judged by a law of freedom.

¹³For judgment is without mercy to him who has showed no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can that faith save him?

¹⁵And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,

¹⁶and one of you tells them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled;" and yet you didn`t give them the things the body needs, what good is it?

¹⁷Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.

¹⁸Yes, a man will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.

¹⁹You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.

²⁰But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?

²¹Wasn`t Abraham, our father, justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

²²You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected;

²³and 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.

²⁴You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith.

²⁵In like manner wasn`t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?

²⁶For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.