James 2
Christian Standard Bible
The Sin of Favoritism
2 My brothers and sisters, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.(A) 2 For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed in filthy clothes also comes in, 3 if you look with favor on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor person, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” 4 haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world(B) to be rich in faith(C) and heirs(D) of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 Yet you have dishonored the poor.(E) Don’t the rich oppress you and drag(F) you into court? 7 Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?(G)
8 Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself,[a](H) you are doing well. 9 If, however, you show favoritism,(I) you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.(J) 11 For he who said, Do not commit adultery,[b] also said, Do not murder.[c](K) So if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom.(L) 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy.(M) Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith and Works
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?(N) 17 In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.”[d] Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works.(O) 19 You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder.(P)
20 Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? 21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works in offering Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was made complete,(Q) 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,[e](R) and he was called God’s friend.(S) 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works in receiving the messengers and sending them out by a different route?(T) 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
James 2
Revised Geneva Translation
2 My brothers, do not hold the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with favoritism.
2 For if a man with a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly. And then, also, a poor man in rags comes in—
3 and you have respect for the one wearing the fine clothing, saying to him, “Sit here in a good place”, yet you say to the poor, “Stand over there”, or “Sit here under my footstool” —
4 are you not partial among yourselves, becoming judges of evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my beloved brothers. Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
6 But you have despised the poor. Do not the rich oppress you by tyranny? And do they not draw you before the judgment seats?
7 Do they not blaspheme the worthy Name after which you are named?
8 But if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”, you do well.
9 But if you show favoritism, you commit sin and are rebuked by the Law as transgressors.
10 For whoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet fails in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For He Who said, “You shall not commit adultery”, also said, “You shall not kill”. Now, though you do no adultery, if you kill you are still a transgressor of the Law.
12 So speak and so do as those who shall be judged by the Law of liberty.
13 For there shall be merciless condemnation for the one who does not show mercy. And mercy rejoices against condemnation.
14 What profit is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but has no works? Can faith save him?
15 For if a brother or a sister is naked and without daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace. Warm yourselves and fill your bellies”, what help is it if you don’t give them those things which the body needs?
17 Even so, faith - if it has no works - is dead by itself.
18 But someone might say, “You have faith, and I have works”. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. The demons also believe it, and tremble.
20 But will you understand, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not our father Abraham justified through works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
22 Do you not see that faith worked with his works? And through works was faith made perfect?
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness”. And he was called the friend of God.
24 You see then how a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified through works when she had received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.
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