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Isaiah 32-35
New American Standard Bible
Isaiah 32-35
New American Standard Bible
The Glorious Future
32 Behold, a (A)king will reign righteously,
And officials will rule justly.
2 Each will be like a (B)refuge from the wind
And a shelter from the storm,
Like [a](C)streams of water in a dry country,
Like the (D)shade of a [b]huge rock in an exhausted land.
3 Then (E)the eyes of those who see will not be [c]blinded,
And the ears of those who hear will listen.
4 The [d]mind of the (F)rash will discern the [e]truth,
And the tongue of the stammerers will hurry to speak clearly.
5 No longer will the (G)fool be called noble,
Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.
6 For a fool speaks nonsense,
And his heart [f](H)inclines toward wickedness:
To practice (I)ungodliness and to speak error against the Lord,
To [g](J)keep the hungry person unsatisfied
And [h]to withhold drink from the thirsty.
7 As for a rogue, his weapons are evil;
He (K)devises wicked schemes
To (L)destroy the poor with [i]slander,
(M)Even though the needy one speaks [j]what is right.
8 But (N)the noble person devises noble plans;
And by noble plans he stands.
9 Rise up, you (O)women who are at ease,
And hear my voice;
(P)Listen to my word,
You complacent daughters.
10 Within a year and a few days
You will be troubled, you complacent daughters;
(Q)For the vintage is ended,
And the fruit gathering will not come.
11 Tremble, you women who are at ease;
(R)Be troubled, you complacent daughters;
(S)Strip, undress, and put sackcloth on your waist,
12 (T)Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine,
13 (U)For the land of my people in which thorns and briars will come up;
Indeed, for all the joyful houses and for the (V)jubilant city.
14 For (W)the palace has been neglected, the [k]populated (X)city abandoned.
[l]Hill and watch-tower have become (Y)caves forever,
A delight for (Z)wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks,
15 Until the (AA)Spirit is poured out upon us from on high,
And the wilderness becomes a (AB)fertile field,
And the fertile field is considered as a forest.
16 Then (AC)justice will dwell in the wilderness,
And righteousness will remain in the fertile field.
17 And the (AD)work of righteousness will be peace,
And the service of righteousness, (AE)quietness and [m]confidence forever.
18 Then my people will live in a (AF)peaceful settlement,
In secure dwellings, and in undisturbed (AG)resting places;
19 And it will (AH)hail when the (AI)forest comes down,
And (AJ)the city will be utterly laid low.
20 How (AK)blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters,
Who [n]let the ox and the donkey out freely.
The Judgment of God
33 Woe (AL)to you, destroyer,
While you were not destroyed;
And he (AM)who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him.
As soon as you finish destroying, (AN)you will be destroyed;
As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will (AO)deal treacherously with you.
2 Lord, (AP)be gracious to us; we have (AQ)waited for You.
Be [o]their [p](AR)strength every morning,
Our salvation also in the (AS)time of distress.
3 At the sound of a roar, (AT)peoples flee;
At the (AU)lifting up of Yourself, nations disperse.
4 Your plunder is gathered as the caterpillar gathers;
Like an infestation of locusts, people storm it.
5 The Lord is (AV)exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has (AW)filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 And He will be the [q](AX)stability of your times,
A (AY)wealth of salvation, wisdom, and (AZ)knowledge;
The (BA)fear of the Lord is his treasure.
7 Behold, their brave men cry out [r]in the streets,
The [s](BB)ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.
8 The highways are desolate, [t]the (BC)traveler has ceased,
He has (BD)broken the covenant, he has despised the cities,
He has no regard for mankind.
9 (BE)The land mourns and wastes away,
(BF)Lebanon is shamed and withers;
(BG)Sharon is like a desert plain,
And Bashan and Carmel [u]lose their foliage.
10 “Now (BH)I will arise,” says the Lord,
“Now I will be exalted, now I will be lifted up.
11 You have (BI)conceived [v]chaff, you will give birth to stubble;
[w]My (BJ)breath will consume you like a fire.
12 The peoples will be burned to lime,
(BK)Like cut thorns which are burned in the fire.
13 “You who are far away, (BL)hear what I have done;
And you who are near, [x]acknowledge My might.”
14 (BM)Sinners in Zion are terrified;
(BN)Trembling has seized the godless.
“Who among us can live with (BO)the consuming fire?
Who among us can live with everlasting (BP)burning?”
15 One who (BQ)walks righteously and speaks with integrity,
One who rejects [y]unjust gain
And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe;
One who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed
And (BR)shuts his eyes from looking at evil;
16 He will dwell on the heights,
(BS)His refuge will be the [z]impregnable rock;
(BT)His bread will be given him,
His water will be sure.
17 Your eyes will see (BU)the King in His beauty;
They will see (BV)a distant land.
18 Your heart will meditate on (BW)terror:
“Where is (BX)one who counts?
Where is one who weighs?
Where is one who counts the towers?”
19 You will no longer see a fierce people,
A people of [aa](BY)unintelligible speech [ab]which no one comprehends,
Of a stammering tongue [ac]which no one understands.
20 (BZ)Look at Zion, the city of our appointed feasts;
Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an (CA)undisturbed settlement,
(CB)A tent which will not be folded;
Its stakes will never be pulled up,
Nor any of its ropes be torn apart.
21 But there the majestic One, the Lord, will be for us
A place of (CC)rivers and wide canals
On which no boat with oars will go,
And on which no mighty ship will pass—
22 For the Lord is our (CD)judge,
The Lord is (CE)our lawgiver,
The Lord is (CF)our king;
(CG)He will save us—
23 Your ship’s tackle hangs slack;
It cannot hold the base of its mast firmly,
Nor spread out the sail.
Then the (CH)prey of an abundant spoil will be divided;
(CI)Those who limp will take the plunder.
24 And no resident will say, “I am (CJ)sick”;
The people who live [ad]there will be (CK)forgiven their wrongdoing.
God’s Wrath against Nations
34 Come near, (CL)you nations, to hear; and listen, you peoples!
(CM)Let the earth and [ae]all it contains hear, and the world and all that springs from it.
2 For the Lord’s (CN)anger is against all the nations,
And His wrath against all their armies.
He has [af](CO)utterly destroyed them,
He has turned them over to (CP)slaughter.
3 So their slain will be (CQ)thrown out,
And their corpses [ag]will give off their (CR)stench,
And the mountains will [ah]be drenched with their (CS)blood.
4 And (CT)all the heavenly [ai]lights will [aj]wear away,
And the (CU)sky will be rolled up like a scroll;
All its [ak]lights will also wither away
As a leaf withers from the vine,
Or as one withers from the fig tree.
5 For (CV)My sword has drunk its fill in heaven;
Behold it shall descend for judgment upon (CW)Edom,
And upon the people whom I have (CX)designated for destruction.
6 The sword of the Lord is filled with blood,
It drips with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats,
With the fat of the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice in (CY)Bozrah,
And a great slaughter in the land of (CZ)Edom.
7 (DA)Wild oxen will also [al]fall with them
And (DB)young bulls with strong ones;
So their land will be (DC)soaked with blood,
And their dust [am]become greasy with fat.
8 For the Lord has a day of (DD)vengeance,
A year of retribution for the [an]cause of Zion.
9 [ao]Its streams will be turned into pitch,
And its loose earth into (DE)brimstone,
And its land will become burning pitch.
10 It will (DF)not be extinguished night or day;
Its (DG)smoke will go up forever.
From (DH)generation to generation it will be desolate;
(DI)None will pass through it forever and ever.
11 But [ap](DJ)pelican and hedgehog will possess it,
And [aq]owl and raven will dwell in it;
And He will stretch over it the (DK)line of [ar]desolation
And the [as]plumb line of emptiness.
12 Its nobles—there is (DL)no one there
Whom they may proclaim king—
And all its officials will be (DM)nothing.
13 Thorns will come up in its (DN)fortified towers,
Weeds and thistles in its fortified cities;
It will also be a haunt of (DO)jackals
And a habitat of ostriches.
14 The desert (DP)creatures will meet with the [at]wolves,
The [au](DQ)goat also will cry to its kind.
Yes, the [av]night-bird will settle there
And will find herself a resting place.
15 The tree snake will make its nest and lay eggs there,
And it will hatch and gather them under its [aw]protection.
Yes, (DR)the [ax]hawks will be gathered there,
Every one with its kind.
16 Seek from the (DS)book of the Lord, and read:
Not one of these will be missing;
None will lack its mate.
For [ay](DT)His mouth has commanded,
And His Spirit has gathered them.
17 He has cast the (DU)lot for them,
And His hand has divided it to them by the (DV)measuring line.
They shall possess it forever;
From (DW)generation to generation they will dwell in it.
Zion’s Happy Future
35 The (DX)wilderness and the desert will rejoice,
And the [az](DY)desert will shout for joy and blossom;
Like the crocus
2 It will (DZ)blossom profusely
And (EA)rejoice with joy and jubilation.
The (EB)glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
The majesty of (EC)Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the (ED)glory of the Lord,
The majesty of our God.
3 (EE)Strengthen the [ba]exhausted, and make the [bb]feeble strong.
4 Say to those with (EF)anxious heart,
“Take courage, fear not.
Behold, your God will come with (EG)vengeance;
The (EH)retribution of God will come,
But He will (EI)save you.”
5 Then the (EJ)eyes of those who are blind will be opened,
And the ears of those who are deaf will be unstopped.
6 Then those who (EK)limp will leap like a deer,
And the (EL)tongue of those who cannot speak will shout for joy.
For waters will burst forth in the (EM)wilderness,
And streams in the [bc]desert.
7 The [bd]scorched land will become a pool
And the thirsty ground (EN)springs of water;
In the (EO)haunt of jackals, its resting place,
Grass becomes reeds and rushes.
8 (EP)A highway will be there, (EQ)a roadway,
And it will be called the Highway of (ER)Holiness.
The unclean will not travel on it,
But it will be for the one who walks that way,
And (ES)fools will not wander on it.
9 No (ET)lion will be there,
Nor will any vicious animal go up on it;
[be]They will not be found there.
But (EU)the redeemed will walk there,
10 And (EV)the redeemed of the Lord will return
And come to Zion with joyful shouting,
And everlasting joy will be on their heads.
They will obtain gladness and joy,
And (EW)sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 32:2 Lit canals
- Isaiah 32:2 Lit heavy
- Isaiah 32:3 Or turned away
- Isaiah 32:4 Lit heart
- Isaiah 32:4 Lit knowledge
- Isaiah 32:6 Or does
- Isaiah 32:6 Lit make empty the hungry soul
- Isaiah 32:6 Lit he deprives the thirsty
- Isaiah 32:7 Lit words of falsehood
- Isaiah 32:7 Lit justly
- Isaiah 32:14 Lit multitude of the
- Isaiah 32:14 Or Ophel
- Isaiah 32:17 Or security
- Isaiah 32:20 Lit send out the foot of the ox
- Isaiah 33:2 Some ancient versions our
- Isaiah 33:2 Lit arm
- Isaiah 33:6 Or faithfulness
- Isaiah 33:7 Lit outside
- Isaiah 33:7 Lit messengers
- Isaiah 33:8 Lit one who passes along the way
- Isaiah 33:9 Lit shake off
- Isaiah 33:11 Lit dry grass
- Isaiah 33:11 One ancient version; MT Your breath will
- Isaiah 33:13 Lit know
- Isaiah 33:15 Lit gain of extortioners
- Isaiah 33:16 Lit stronghold of rock
- Isaiah 33:19 Lit deepness of lip
- Isaiah 33:19 Lit from hearing
- Isaiah 33:19 Lit there is no understanding
- Isaiah 33:24 Lit in it
- Isaiah 34:1 Lit its fullness
- Isaiah 34:2 Lit put under the ban
- Isaiah 34:3 Lit their stench will go up
- Isaiah 34:3 Lit dissolve
- Isaiah 34:4 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
- Isaiah 34:4 Lit rot
- Isaiah 34:4 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
- Isaiah 34:7 Lit go down
- Isaiah 34:7 Lit made fat
- Isaiah 34:8 Or controversy
- Isaiah 34:9 I.e., Edom’s
- Isaiah 34:11 Or owl; or jackdaw
- Isaiah 34:11 Or great horned owl
- Isaiah 34:11 Or formlessness
- Isaiah 34:11 Lit stones of void
- Isaiah 34:14 Or howling creatures
- Isaiah 34:14 Or goat demon
- Isaiah 34:14 Or a demon; Heb Lilith
- Isaiah 34:15 Lit shade
- Isaiah 34:15 Or kites
- Isaiah 34:16 As in DSS; MT My
- Isaiah 35:1 Or Arabah
- Isaiah 35:3 Lit slack hands
- Isaiah 35:3 Lit tottering knees
- Isaiah 35:6 Or Arabah
- Isaiah 35:7 Or mirage
- Isaiah 35:9 Lit It
Isaiah 32-35
New International Version
Isaiah 32-35
New International Version
The Kingdom of Righteousness
32 See, a king(A) will reign in righteousness
and rulers will rule with justice.(B)
2 Each one will be like a shelter(C) from the wind
and a refuge from the storm,(D)
like streams of water(E) in the desert(F)
and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
3 Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,(G)
and the ears(H) of those who hear will listen.
4 The fearful heart will know and understand,(I)
and the stammering tongue(J) will be fluent and clear.
5 No longer will the fool(K) be called noble
nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
6 For fools speak folly,(L)
their hearts are bent on evil:(M)
They practice ungodliness(N)
and spread error(O) concerning the Lord;
the hungry they leave empty(P)
and from the thirsty they withhold water.
7 Scoundrels use wicked methods,(Q)
they make up evil schemes(R)
to destroy the poor with lies,
even when the plea of the needy(S) is just.(T)
8 But the noble make noble plans,
and by noble deeds(U) they stand.(V)
The Women of Jerusalem
9 You women(W) who are so complacent,
rise up and listen(X) to me;
you daughters who feel secure,(Y)
hear what I have to say!
10 In little more than a year(Z)
you who feel secure will tremble;
the grape harvest will fail,(AA)
and the harvest of fruit will not come.
11 Tremble,(AB) you complacent women;
shudder, you daughters who feel secure!(AC)
Strip off your fine clothes(AD)
and wrap yourselves in rags.(AE)
12 Beat your breasts(AF) for the pleasant fields,
for the fruitful vines(AG)
13 and for the land of my people,
a land overgrown with thorns and briers(AH)—
yes, mourn(AI) for all houses of merriment
and for this city of revelry.(AJ)
14 The fortress(AK) will be abandoned,
the noisy city deserted;(AL)
citadel and watchtower(AM) will become a wasteland forever,
the delight of donkeys,(AN) a pasture for flocks,(AO)
15 till the Spirit(AP) is poured on us from on high,
and the desert becomes a fertile field,(AQ)
and the fertile field seems like a forest.(AR)
16 The Lord’s justice(AS) will dwell in the desert,(AT)
his righteousness(AU) live in the fertile field.
17 The fruit of that righteousness(AV) will be peace;(AW)
its effect will be quietness and confidence(AX) forever.
18 My people will live in peaceful(AY) dwelling places,
in secure homes,(AZ)
in undisturbed places of rest.(BA)
19 Though hail(BB) flattens the forest(BC)
and the city is leveled(BD) completely,
20 how blessed you will be,
sowing(BE) your seed by every stream,(BF)
and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.(BG)
Distress and Help
33 Woe(BH) to you, destroyer,
you who have not been destroyed!
Woe to you, betrayer,
you who have not been betrayed!
When you stop destroying,
you will be destroyed;(BI)
when you stop betraying,
you will be betrayed.(BJ)
2 Lord, be gracious(BK) to us;
we long for you.
Be our strength(BL) every morning,
our salvation(BM) in time of distress.(BN)
3 At the uproar of your army,(BO) the peoples flee;(BP)
when you rise up,(BQ) the nations scatter.
4 Your plunder,(BR) O nations, is harvested(BS) as by young locusts;(BT)
like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.
5 The Lord is exalted,(BU) for he dwells on high;(BV)
he will fill Zion with his justice(BW) and righteousness.(BX)
6 He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation(BY) and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear(BZ) of the Lord is the key to this treasure.[a](CA)
7 Look, their brave men(CB) cry aloud in the streets;
the envoys(CC) of peace weep bitterly.
8 The highways are deserted,
no travelers(CD) are on the roads.(CE)
The treaty is broken,(CF)
its witnesses[b] are despised,
no one is respected.
9 The land dries up(CG) and wastes away,
Lebanon(CH) is ashamed and withers;(CI)
Sharon(CJ) is like the Arabah,
and Bashan(CK) and Carmel(CL) drop their leaves.
10 “Now will I arise,(CM)” says the Lord.
“Now will I be exalted;(CN)
now will I be lifted up.
11 You conceive(CO) chaff,
you give birth(CP) to straw;
your breath is a fire(CQ) that consumes you.
12 The peoples will be burned to ashes;(CR)
like cut thornbushes(CS) they will be set ablaze.(CT)”
13 You who are far away,(CU) hear(CV) what I have done;
you who are near, acknowledge my power!
14 The sinners(CW) in Zion are terrified;
trembling(CX) grips the godless:
“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?(CY)
Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”
15 Those who walk righteously(CZ)
and speak what is right,(DA)
who reject gain from extortion(DB)
and keep their hands from accepting bribes,(DC)
who stop their ears against plots of murder
and shut their eyes(DD) against contemplating evil—
16 they are the ones who will dwell on the heights,(DE)
whose refuge(DF) will be the mountain fortress.(DG)
Their bread will be supplied,
and water will not fail(DH) them.
17 Your eyes will see the king(DI) in his beauty(DJ)
and view a land that stretches afar.(DK)
18 In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:(DL)
“Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
Where is the officer in charge of the towers?(DM)”
19 You will see those arrogant people(DN) no more,
people whose speech is obscure,
whose language is strange and incomprehensible.(DO)
20 Look on Zion,(DP) the city of our festivals;
your eyes will see Jerusalem,
a peaceful abode,(DQ) a tent(DR) that will not be moved;(DS)
its stakes will never be pulled up,
nor any of its ropes broken.
21 There the Lord will be our Mighty(DT) One.
It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.(DU)
No galley with oars will ride them,
no mighty ship(DV) will sail them.
22 For the Lord is our judge,(DW)
the Lord is our lawgiver,(DX)
the Lord is our king;(DY)
it is he who will save(DZ) us.
23 Your rigging hangs loose:
The mast is not held secure,
the sail is not spread.
Then an abundance of spoils will be divided
and even the lame(EA) will carry off plunder.(EB)
24 No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”;(EC)
and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.(ED)
Judgment Against the Nations
34 Come near, you nations, and listen;(EE)
pay attention, you peoples!(EF)
Let the earth(EG) hear, and all that is in it,
the world, and all that comes out of it!(EH)
2 The Lord is angry with all nations;
his wrath(EI) is on all their armies.
He will totally destroy[c](EJ) them,
he will give them over to slaughter.(EK)
3 Their slain(EL) will be thrown out,
their dead bodies(EM) will stink;(EN)
the mountains will be soaked with their blood.(EO)
4 All the stars in the sky will be dissolved(EP)
and the heavens rolled up(EQ) like a scroll;
all the starry host will fall(ER)
like withered(ES) leaves from the vine,
like shriveled figs from the fig tree.
5 My sword(ET) has drunk its fill in the heavens;
see, it descends in judgment on Edom,(EU)
the people I have totally destroyed.(EV)
6 The sword(EW) of the Lord is bathed in blood,
it is covered with fat—
the blood of lambs and goats,
fat from the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice(EX) in Bozrah(EY)
and a great slaughter(EZ) in the land of Edom.
7 And the wild oxen(FA) will fall with them,
the bull calves and the great bulls.(FB)
Their land will be drenched with blood,(FC)
and the dust will be soaked with fat.
8 For the Lord has a day(FD) of vengeance,(FE)
a year of retribution,(FF) to uphold Zion’s cause.
9 Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch,
her dust into burning sulfur;(FG)
her land will become blazing pitch!
10 It will not be quenched(FH) night or day;
its smoke will rise forever.(FI)
From generation to generation(FJ) it will lie desolate;(FK)
no one will ever pass through it again.
11 The desert owl[d](FL) and screech owl[e] will possess it;
the great owl[f] and the raven(FM) will nest there.
God will stretch out over Edom(FN)
the measuring line of chaos(FO)
and the plumb line(FP) of desolation.
12 Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom,
all her princes(FQ) will vanish(FR) away.
13 Thorns(FS) will overrun her citadels,
nettles and brambles her strongholds.(FT)
She will become a haunt for jackals,(FU)
a home for owls.(FV)
14 Desert creatures(FW) will meet with hyenas,(FX)
and wild goats will bleat to each other;
there the night creatures(FY) will also lie down
and find for themselves places of rest.
15 The owl will nest there and lay eggs,
she will hatch them, and care for her young
under the shadow of her wings;(FZ)
there also the falcons(GA) will gather,
each with its mate.
16 Look in the scroll(GB) of the Lord and read:
None of these will be missing,(GC)
not one will lack her mate.
For it is his mouth(GD) that has given the order,(GE)
and his Spirit will gather them together.
17 He allots their portions;(GF)
his hand distributes them by measure.
They will possess it forever
and dwell there from generation to generation.(GG)
Joy of the Redeemed
35 The desert(GH) and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.(GI)
Like the crocus,(GJ) 2 it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.(GK)
The glory of Lebanon(GL) will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel(GM) and Sharon;(GN)
they will see the glory(GO) of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.(GP)
3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees(GQ) that give way;
4 say(GR) to those with fearful hearts,(GS)
“Be strong, do not fear;(GT)
your God will come,(GU)
he will come with vengeance;(GV)
with divine retribution
he will come to save(GW) you.”
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened(GX)
and the ears of the deaf(GY) unstopped.
6 Then will the lame(GZ) leap like a deer,(HA)
and the mute tongue(HB) shout for joy.(HC)
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams(HD) in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground(HE) bubbling springs.(HF)
In the haunts where jackals(HG) once lay,
grass and reeds(HH) and papyrus will grow.
8 And a highway(HI) will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;(HJ)
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean(HK) will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion(HL) will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;(HM)
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed(HN) will walk there,
10 and those the Lord has rescued(HO) will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;(HP)
everlasting joy(HQ) will crown their heads.
Gladness(HR) and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.(HS)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 33:6 Or is a treasure from him
- Isaiah 33:8 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text / the cities
- Isaiah 34:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 5.
- Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
- Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
- Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
James 2
New American Standard Bible
James 2
New American Standard Bible
The Sin of Partiality
2 (A)My brothers and sisters, (B)do not hold your faith in our (C)glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of (D)personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your [a]assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in (E)bright clothes, and a poor man in (F)dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and you [b]pay special attention to the one who is wearing the (G)bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges (H)with evil [c]motives? 5 Listen, (I)my beloved brothers and sisters: did (J)God not choose the poor [d]of this world to be (K)rich in faith and (L)heirs of the kingdom which He (M)promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and [e]personally (N)drag you into [f]court? 7 (O)Do they not blaspheme the good name [g]by which you have been called?
8 If, however, you (P)are fulfilling the [h]royal law according to the Scripture, “(Q)You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you (R)show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as violators. 10 For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet (S)stumbles in one point, has become (T)guilty of all. 11 For He who said, “(U)Do not commit adultery,” also said, “(V)Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do murder, you have become a violator of the Law. 12 So speak, and so act, as those who are to be judged by (W)the law of freedom. 13 For (X)judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy [i]triumphs over judgment.
Faith and Works
14 (Y)What use is it, (Z)my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can [j]that faith save him? 15 (AA)If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “(AB)Go in peace, [k]be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 In the same way, (AC)faith also, if it has no works, is [l]dead, being by itself.
18 (AD)But someone [m]may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your (AE)faith without the works, and I will (AF)show you my faith (AG)by my works.” 19 You believe that [n](AH)God is one. (AI)You do well; (AJ)the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to acknowledge, (AK)you foolish person, that (AL)faith without works is useless? 21 (AM)Was our father Abraham not justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that (AN)faith was working with his works, and [o]as a result of the (AO)works, faith was [p]perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “(AP)And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a (AQ)friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was (AR)Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also (AS)when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also (AT)faith without works is dead.
Footnotes
- James 2:2 Or synagogue
- James 2:3 Lit look at
- James 2:4 Lit reasonings
- James 2:5 Lit to the
- James 2:6 Lit they themselves
- James 2:6 Lit courts
- James 2:7 Lit which has been called upon you
- James 2:8 Or law of our King
- James 2:13 Lit boasts against
- James 2:14 Lit the
- James 2:16 Or warm yourselves and fill yourselves
- James 2:17 Or dead by its own standards
- James 2:18 Lit will
- James 2:19 One early ms there is one God
- James 2:22 Or by the deeds
- James 2:22 Or completed
James 2
New International Version
James 2
New International Version
Favoritism Forbidden
2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious(A) Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.(B) 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges(C) with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters:(D) Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world(E) to be rich in faith(F) and to inherit the kingdom(G) he promised those who love him?(H) 6 But you have dishonored the poor.(I) Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?(J) 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a](K) you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism,(L) you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.(M) 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles(N) at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.(O) 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b](P) also said, “You shall not murder.”[c](Q) If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged(R) by the law that gives freedom,(S) 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.(T) Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith and Deeds
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?(U) Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.(V) 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?(W) 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.(X)
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds,(Y) and I will show you my faith(Z) by my deeds.(AA) 19 You believe that there is one God.(AB) Good! Even the demons believe that(AC)—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]?(AD) 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?(AE) 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together,(AF) and his faith was made complete by what he did.(AG) 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[e](AH) and he was called God’s friend.(AI) 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?(AJ) 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.(AK)
Footnotes
- James 2:8 Lev. 19:18
- James 2:11 Exodus 20:14; Deut. 5:18
- James 2:11 Exodus 20:13; Deut. 5:17
- James 2:20 Some early manuscripts dead
- James 2:23 Gen. 15:6
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