James 2:1-26
2 My brothers, YOU are not holding the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, our glory,+ with acts of favoritism,+ are YOU?*
2 For, if a man with gold rings on his fingers and in splendid clothing enters into a gathering*+ of YOU, but a poor [man] in filthy clothing also enters,+
3 yet YOU look with favor+ upon the one wearing the splendid clothing and say: “You take this seat here in a fine place,” and YOU say to the poor one: “You keep standing,” or: “Take that seat there under my footstool,”
4 YOU have class distinctions among yourselves+ and YOU have become judges+ rendering wicked decisions,+ is that not so?
5 Listen, my beloved brothers. God chose the ones who are poor+ respecting the world to be rich+ in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he promised to those who love him,+ did he not?
6 YOU, though, have dishonored the poor [man]. The rich oppress+ YOU, and they drag YOU before law courts,*+ do they not?
7 They blaspheme+ the fine name by which YOU were called,+ do they not?
8 If, now, YOU practice carrying out the kingly law+ according to the scripture: “You must love your neighbor as yourself,”+ YOU are doing quite well.
9 But if YOU continue showing favoritism,+ YOU are working a sin, for YOU are reproved by the law+ as transgressors.
10 For whoever observes all the Law but makes a false step* in one point, he has become an offender against them all.+
11 For he who said: “You must not commit adultery,”+ said also: “You must not murder.”+ If, now, you do not commit adultery but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of law.
12 Keep on speaking in such a way and keep on doing in such a way as those do who are going to be judged by the law of a free people.*+
13 For the one that does not practice mercy will have [his] judgment without mercy.+ Mercy exults triumphantly over* judgment.
14 Of what benefit is it, my brothers, if a certain one says he has faith+ but he does not have works?+ That faith cannot save him, can it?+
15 If a brother or a sister is in a naked state and lacking the food sufficient for the day,+
16 yet a certain one of YOU says to them: “Go in peace, keep warm and well fed,” but YOU do not give them the necessities for [their] body, of what benefit is it?+
17 Thus, too, faith, if it does not have works,+ is dead in itself.
18 Nevertheless, a certain one will say: “You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith apart from the works, and I shall show you my faith by my works.”+
19 You believe there is one God, do you?+ You are doing quite well. And yet the demons believe and shudder.*+
20 But do you care to know, O empty man, that faith apart from works is inactive?
21 Was not Abraham our father+ declared righteous by works after he had offered up Isaac his son upon the altar?+
22 You behold that [his] faith worked along with his works and by [his] works [his] faith was perfected,+
23 and the scripture was fulfilled which says: “Abraham put faith in Jehovah,* and it was counted to him as righteousness,”+ and he came to be called “Jehovah’s* friend.”+
24 YOU see that a man is to be declared righteous+ by works,+ and not by faith alone.+
25 In the same manner was not also Raʹhab+ the harlot declared righteous by works, after she had received the messengers hospitably and sent them out by another way?+
26 Indeed, as the body without spirit* is dead,+ so also faith without works is dead.+
Footnotes
^ Or, “My brothers, stop holding . . . of favoritism.”
^ “Gathering.” Gr., sy·na·go·genʹ.
^ Lit., “judgment places.”
^ Lit., “he might trip.”
^ Or, “law that belongs to freedom.”
^ Or, “as superior to.”
^ Lit., “they are bristling up.”
^ See App 1D.
^ See App 1D.
^ Or, “breath.”
