Beware of Personal Favoritism

My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, (A)the Lord of glory, with (B)partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in [a]fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in [b]filthy clothes, and you [c]pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not [d]shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my beloved brethren: (C)Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be (D)rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom (E)which He promised to those who love Him? But (F)you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you (G)and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are (H)called?

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, (I)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you [e]show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as (J)transgressors. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet (K)stumble in one point, (L)he is guilty of all. 11 For He who said, (M)“Do not commit adultery,” also said, (N)“Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by (O)the law of liberty. 13 For (P)judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown (Q)no (R)mercy. (S)Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith Without Works Is Dead(T)

14 (U)What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 (V)If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and (W)one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” (X)Show me your faith without [f]your works, (Y)and I will show you my faith by [g]my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is [h]dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works (Z)when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see (AA)that faith was working together with his works, and by (AB)works faith was made [i]perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, (AC)“Abraham believed God, and it was [j]accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called (AD)the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise, (AE)was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she 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 also.

Footnotes

  1. James 2:2 bright
  2. James 2:2 vile
  3. James 2:3 Lit. look upon
  4. James 2:4 differentiated
  5. James 2:9 Lit. receive the face
  6. James 2:18 NU omits your
  7. James 2:18 NU omits my
  8. James 2:20 NU useless
  9. James 2:22 complete
  10. James 2:23 credited

Fy mrodyr, na fydded gennych ffydd ein Harglwydd ni Iesu Grist, sef Arglwydd y gogoniant, gyda derbyn wyneb. Oblegid os daw i mewn i’ch cynulleidfa chwi ŵr â modrwy aur, mewn dillad gwychion, a dyfod hefyd un tlawd mewn dillad gwael; Ac edrych ohonoch ar yr hwn sydd yn gwisgo’r dillad gwychion, a dywedyd wrtho, Eistedd di yma mewn lle da; a dywedyd wrth y tlawd, Saf di yna, neu eistedd yma islaw fy ystôl droed i: Onid ydych chwi dueddol ynoch eich hunain? ac onid aethoch yn farnwyr meddyliau drwg? Gwrandewch, fy mrodyr annwyl; Oni ddewisodd Duw dlodion y byd hwn yn gyfoethogion mewn ffydd, ac yn etifeddion y deyrnas yr hon a addawodd efe i’r rhai sydd yn ei garu ef? Eithr chwithau a amharchasoch y tlawd. Onid yw’r cyfoethogion yn eich gorthrymu chwi, ac yn eich tynnu gerbron brawdleoedd? Onid ydynt hwy’n cablu’r enw rhagorol, yr hwn a elwir arnoch chwi? Os cyflawni yr ydych y gyfraith frenhinol yn ôl yr ysgrythur, Câr dy gymydog fel ti dy hun; da yr ydych yn gwneuthur: Eithr os derbyn wyneb yr ydych, yr ydych yn gwneuthur pechod, ac yn cael eich argyhoeddi gan y gyfraith megis troseddwyr. 10 Canys pwy bynnag a gadwo’r gyfraith i gyd oll, ac a ballo mewn un pwnc, y mae efe yn euog o’r cwbl. 11 Canys y neb a ddywedodd, Na odineba, a ddywedodd hefyd, Na ladd. Ac os ti ni odinebi, eto a leddi, yr wyt ti yn troseddu’r gyfraith. 12 Felly dywedwch, ac felly gwnewch, megis rhai a fernir wrth gyfraith rhyddid. 13 Canys barn ddidrugaredd fydd i’r hwn ni wnaeth drugaredd; ac y mae trugaredd yn gorfoleddu yn erbyn barn. 14 Pa fudd yw, fy mrodyr, o dywed neb fod ganddo ffydd, ac heb fod ganddo weithredoedd? a ddichon ffydd ei gadw ef? 15 Eithr os bydd brawd neu chwaer yn noeth, ac mewn eisiau beunyddiol ymborth, 16 A dywedyd o un ohonoch wrthynt, Ewch mewn heddwch, ymdwymnwch, ac ymddigonwch; eto heb roddi iddynt angenrheidiau’r corff; pa les fydd? 17 Felly ffydd hefyd, oni bydd ganddi weithredoedd, marw ydyw, a hi yn unig. 18 Eithr rhyw un a ddywed, Tydi ffydd sydd gennyt, minnau gweithredoedd sydd gennyf: dangos i mi dy ffydd di heb dy weithredoedd, a minnau wrth fy ngweithredoedd i a ddangosaf i ti fy ffydd innau. 19 Credu yr wyt ti mai un Duw sydd; da yr wyt ti yn gwneuthur: y mae’r cythreuliaid hefyd yn credu, ac yn crynu. 20 Eithr a fynni di wybod, O ddyn ofer, am ffydd heb weithredoedd, mai marw yw? 21 Abraham ein tad ni, onid o weithredoedd y cyfiawnhawyd ef, pan offrymodd efe Isaac ei fab ar yr allor? 22 Ti a weli fod ffydd yn cydweithio â’i weithredoedd ef, a thrwy weithredoedd fod ffydd wedi ei pherffeithio. 23 A chyflawnwyd yr ysgrythur yr hon sydd yn dywedyd, Credodd Abraham i Dduw, a chyfrifwyd iddo yn gyfiawnder: a Chyfaill Duw y galwyd ef. 24 Chwi a welwch gan hynny mai o weithredoedd y cyfiawnheir dyn, ac nid o ffydd yn unig. 25 Yr un ffunud hefyd, Rahab y butain, onid o weithredoedd y cyfiawnhawyd hi, pan dderbyniodd hi’r cenhadau, a’u danfon ymaith ffordd arall? 26 Canys megis y mae’r corff heb yr ysbryd yn farw, felly hefyd ffydd heb weithredoedd, marw yw.