Trials and Temptations

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds,^{(A) 3} because you know that the testing of your faith^(B) produces perseverance.^{(C) 4} Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature^(D) and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,^(E) who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.^{(F) 6} But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt,^(G) because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Faith and Deeds

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?^(A) Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.^{(B) 16} If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?^{(C) 17} In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.^(D)

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds,^(E) and I will show you my faith^(F) by my deeds.^{(G) 19} You believe that there is one God.^(H) Good! Even the demons believe that^(I)—and shudder.

²⁰ You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless^[a]?^{(J) 21} Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?^{(K) 22} You see that his faith and his actions were working together,^(L) and his faith was made complete by what he did.^{(M) 23} And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”^[b](N) and he was called God’s friend.^{(O) 24} You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?^{(P) 26} As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.^(Q)