James 2:14-26

English Standard Version

Faith Without Works Is Dead

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith ^(A)but does not have works? Can that faith save him? ¹⁵^(B)If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, ¹⁶^(C)and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good^[a] is that? ¹⁷So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith ^(D)apart from your works, and I will show you my faith ^(E)by my works. ¹⁹^(F)You believe that God is one; you do well. Even ^(G)the demons believe—and shudder! ²⁰Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? ²¹^(H)Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? ²²You see that ^(I)faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed ^(J)by his works; ²³and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ^(K)“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a ^(L)friend of God. ²⁴You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵And in the same way was not also ^(M)Rahab the prostitute justified by works ^(N)when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? ²⁶For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.