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James 2
World English Bible

2 My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with partiality. 2 For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue,[a] and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in, 3 and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing and say, “Sit here in a good place;” and you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool” 4 haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and personally drag you before the courts? 7 Don’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?

8 However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,”(A) you do well. 9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,”(B) also said, “Do not commit murder.”(C) Now if you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so do as men who are to be judged by the law of freedom. 13 For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him? 15 And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, 16 and one of you tells them, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled;” yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself. 18 Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

19 You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder. 20 But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead? 21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected. 23 So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness,”(D) and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith. 25 In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

Footnotes

  1. 2:2 or, meeting
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James 2
Legacy Standard Bible

The Sin of Favoritism

2 (A)My brothers, (B)do not hold your faith in our [a](C)glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of (D)personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your [b]assembly with a gold ring and dressed in (E)bright clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in (F)dirty clothes, 3 and you [c]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 thoughts? 5 Listen, (I)my beloved brothers: did not (J)God 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 they themselves (N)drag you into [e]court? 7 (O)Do they not blaspheme the good name [f]by which you have been called?

8 If, however, you (P)are fulfilling the [g]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, being convicted by the [h]law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole [i]law and yet (S)stumbles in one point, he 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 murder, you have become a transgressor of the [j]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 [k]triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Works

14 (Y)What use is it, (Z)my brothers, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can [l]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, [m]be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so (AC)faith, if it has no works, is [n]dead by itself.

18 (AD)But someone will 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 [o](AH)God is one. (AI)You do well; (AJ)the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to recognize, (AK)you foolish fellow, that (AL)faith without works is useless? 21 (AM)Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that (AN)faith was working with his works, and [p]as a result of the (AO)works, faith was [q]perfected. 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “(AP)And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he was called (AQ)the friend of God. 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way, was not (AR)Rahab the harlot also justified by works (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

  1. James 2:1 Or Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious one
  2. James 2:2 Or synagogue
  3. James 2:3 Lit look at
  4. James 2:5 Lit to the
  5. James 2:6 Lit courts
  6. James 2:7 Lit which has been called upon you
  7. James 2:8 Or law of our King
  8. James 2:9 Or Law
  9. James 2:10 Or Law
  10. James 2:11 Or Law
  11. James 2:13 Lit boasts against
  12. James 2:14 Lit the
  13. James 2:16 Or warm yourselves and fill yourselves
  14. James 2:17 Or dead by its own standards
  15. James 2:19 One early ms there is one God
  16. James 2:22 Or by the deeds
  17. James 2:22 Or completed
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