20 Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? 21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was perfected.(A) 23 So the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness,(B)[a] and he was called God’s friend.(C) 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different route?(D) 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

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Footnotes

  1. James 2:23 Gn 15:6

20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[a]?(A) 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?(B) 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together,(C) and his faith was made complete by what he did.(D) 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[b](E) and he was called God’s friend.(F) 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?(G) 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.(H)

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Footnotes

  1. James 2:20 Some early manuscripts dead
  2. James 2:23 Gen. 15:6