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The holy writings say, `Love your neighbour as you love yourself.' If you obey this law of your King you do well.

But if you think one man is better than another, that is wrong. The law says you are a bad person.

10 Anyone who obeys the law, but then breaks one of the laws, has broken all the laws.

11 God made the law, `Do not use sex wrongly.' God also made the law, `Do not kill'. If you do not have wrong sex, but you kill, you have broken the law.

12 There is a law that makes people free. It is the law of showing kindness. Always talk and live like men who will be judged by that law.

13 When God judges, he will not be kind to a person who has not been kind. It is better to be kind than it is to judge people.

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If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a](A) you are doing right. But if you show favoritism,(B) you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.(C) 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles(D) at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.(E) 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b](F) also said, “You shall not murder.”[c](G) 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(H) by the law that gives freedom,(I) 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.(J) Mercy triumphs over judgment.

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Footnotes

  1. James 2:8 Lev. 19:18
  2. James 2:11 Exodus 20:14; Deut. 5:18
  3. James 2:11 Exodus 20:13; Deut. 5:17