14 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me and sat before me.

² And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

³ “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face. Should I be inquired of at all by them?

⁴ Therefore speak unto them and say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols,

⁵ that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from Me through their idols.’

⁶ “Therefore say unto the house of Israel, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

⁷ For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, who separateth himself from Me and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the Lord will answer him by Myself.

⁸ And I will set My face against that man and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

⁹ And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand upon him and will destroy him from the midst of My people Israel.

¹⁰ And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity. The punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him,

¹¹ that the house of Israel may go no more astray from Me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions, but that they may be My people and I may be their God, saith the Lord God.’”

¹² The word of the Lord came again to me, saying,

¹³ “Son of man, when the land sinneth against Me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out Mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it.

¹⁴ Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God.

¹⁵ If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts,

¹⁶ though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters. They only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

¹⁷ Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ so that I cut off man and beast from it,

¹⁸ though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.

¹⁹ Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury upon it in blood to cut off from it man and beast,

²⁰ though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter. They shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

²¹ “For thus saith the Lord God: How much more when I send My four sore judgments upon Jerusalem — the sword and the famine and the noisome beast and the pestilence — to cut off from it man and beast?

²² Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters. Behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings; and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.

²³ And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God.”

15 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

² “Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?

³ Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? Or will men take a peg from it to hang any vessel thereon?

⁴ Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the middle of it is burned. Is it meet for any work?

⁵ Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work. How much less shall it be meet yet for any work when the fire hath devoured it and it is burned?

⁶ Therefore thus saith the Lord God: As the vine tree among the trees of the forest which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

⁷ And I will set My face against them: they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them.

⁸ And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord God.”

2 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

² For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment,

³ and ye have respect for him that weareth the grand clothing and say unto him, “Sit thou here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “Stand thou there,” or, “Sit here under my footstool,”

⁴ are ye not then partial in yourselves and have become judges with evil thoughts?

⁵ Hearken, my beloved brethren: Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which He hath promised to those who love Him?

⁶ But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you and drag you before the judgment seats?

⁷ Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called?

⁸ If ye fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,” ye do well.

⁹ But if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

¹⁰ For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend on one point, he is guilty of all.

¹¹ For He that said, “Do not commit adultery,” said also, “Do not kill.” Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

¹² So speak ye, and so do, as those who shall be judged by the law of liberty.

¹³ For he shall have judgment without mercy, who hath shown no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

¹⁴ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and hath not works? Can faith save him?

¹⁵ If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food,

¹⁶ and one of you say unto them, “Depart in peace; be ye warmed and filled,” without giving them those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit?

¹⁷ Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

¹⁸ Yea, a man may say, “Thou hast faith, and I have works.” Show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.

¹⁹ Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well. The devils also believe — and tremble.

²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

²² Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?

²³ And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness”; and he was called the friend of God.

²⁴ Ye see then how by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

²⁵ Likewise also, was not Rahab the harlot justified by works when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way?

²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.