James 2
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James 2
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| My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons. | My brothers, if you have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory, do not take a man's position into account. |
| 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; | For if a man comes into your Synagogue in fair clothing and with a gold ring, and a poor man comes in with dirty clothing, |
| 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; | And you do honour to the man in fair clothing and say, Come here and take this good place; and you say to the poor man, Take up your position there, or be seated at my feet; |
| Do ye not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? | Is there not a division in your minds? have you not become judges with evil thoughts? |
| 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? | Give ear, my dear brothers; are not those who are poor in the things of this world marked out by God to have faith as their wealth, and for their heritage the kingdom which he has said he will give to those who have love for him? |
| But ye have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats? | But you have put the poor man to shame. Are not the men of wealth rulers over you? do they not take you by force before their judges? |
| Do not they blaspheme the honorable name by which ye are called? | Do they not say evil of the holy name which was given to you? |
| Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: | But if you keep the greatest law of all, as it is given in the holy Writings, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself, you do well: |
| but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. | But if you take a man's position into account, you do evil, and are judged as evil-doers by the law. |
| For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one [point], he is become guilty of all. | For anyone who keeps all the law, but makes a slip in one point, is judged to have gone against it all. |
| 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. | For he who said, Do not be untrue in married life, is the same who said, Put no man to death. Now if you are not untrue in married life, but you put a man to death, the law is broken. |
| So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty. | Let your words and your acts be those of men who are to be judged by the law which makes free. |
| For judgment [is] without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment. | For the man who has had no mercy will be judged without mercy, but mercy takes pride in overcoming judging. |
| What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him? | What use is it, my brothers, for a man to say that he has faith, if he does nothing? will such a faith give him salvation? |
| If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, | If a brother or a sister is without clothing and in need of the day's food, |
| 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? | And one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warm and full of food; but you do not give them the things of which their bodies have need, what profit is there in this? |
| Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. | Even so faith without works is dead. |
| 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. | But a man may say, You have faith and I have works; let me see your faith without your works, and I will make my faith clear to you by my works. |
| Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder. | You have the belief that God is one, and you do well: the evil spirits have the same belief, shaking with fear. |
| But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? | Do you not see, O foolish man, that faith without works is of no use? |
| Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? | Was not the righteousness of Abraham our father judged by his works, when he made an offering of Isaac his son on the altar? |
| Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect; | You see that his faith was helping his works and was made complete by them; |
| 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. | And the holy Writings were put into effect which said, And Abraham had faith in God and it was put to his account as righteousness; and he was named the friend of God. |
| Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith. | You see that a man's righteousness is judged by his works and not by his faith only. |
| 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? | And in the same way, was not the righteousness of Rahab, the loose woman, judged by her works, when she took into her house those who were sent and let them go out by another way? |
| 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 even so faith without works is dead. |
