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My egō brothers adelphos, stop showing echō favoritism prosōpolēmpsia as you live out en your ho faith pistis in ho our hēmeis glorious doxa Lord kyrios Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos. · ho For gar if ean a man anēr comes eiserchomai into eis your hymeis congregation synagōgē wearing a gold ring chrysodaktylios and en fine lampros clothes esthēs, and de a poor man ptōchos in en dirty rhyparos clothes esthēs also kai comes in eiserchomai, and de you pay special attention epiblepō to epi the ho one wearing phoreō the ho fine lampros clothes esthēs · ho and kai say legō, “ You sy sit kathēmai here hōde in a good place kalōs,” but kai to the ho poor ptōchos man you say legō, “ You sy stand histēmi over there ekei, or ē sit kathēmai down here at hypo · ho my egō feet hypopodion,” have you not ou made distinctions diakrinō among en yourselves heautou and kai become ginomai judges kritēs with evil ponēros motives dialogismos? Listen akouō, my egō dear agapētos brothers adelphos! Did not ou · ho God theos choose eklegomai those ho whom the ho world kosmos considers poor ptōchos to be rich plousios in en faith pistis and kai to inherit klēronomos the ho kingdom basileia, which hos he promised epangellomai to those ho who love agapaō him autos? But de you hymeis have dishonored atimazō the ho poor ptōchos! Is it not ou the ho rich plousios who oppress katadynasteuō you hymeis? And kai are not they autos the ones who drag you hymeis into eis court kritērion? Are they autos not ou the ones who are blaspheming blasphēmeō the ho honorable kalos name onoma by which ho you hymeis were called epikaleō? If ei you teleō really mentoi fulfill teleō the royal basilikos law nomos as set forth in kata this ho scripture graphē, “ You shall love agapaō · ho your sy neighbor plēsion as hōs yourself seautou,” you are doing poieō well kalōs. But de if ei you show favoritism prosōpolēmpteō, you are committing ergazomai sin hamartia and are convicted elenchō by hypo the ho law nomos as hōs transgressors parabatēs. 10 For gar whoever hostis keeps tēreō the ho entire holos law nomos yet de fails ptaiō at en a single point heis has become ginomai guilty enochos of the law as a whole pas. 11 For gar he ho who said legō, “ Do not commit adultery moicheuō,” also kai said legō, “ Do not commit murder phoneuō.” Now de if ei you do not ou commit adultery moicheuō but de do commit murder phoneuō, you have become ginomai a transgressor parabatēs of the law nomos. 12 So houtōs speak laleō and kai so houtōs act poieō as hōs those who are mellō to be judged krinō by dia the law nomos that brings freedom eleutheria. 13 · ho For gar judgment krisis will be without mercy aneleos for one ho who has shown poieō no mercy eleos; mercy eleos triumphs katakauchaomai over judgment krisis.

14 What tis · ho good ophelos is it, my egō brothers adelphos, if ean someone tis claims legō to have echō faith pistis but de has echō no works ergon? Can dynamai that kind of ho faith pistis save sōzō him autos? 15 If ean a brother adelphos or ē sister adelphē lacks hyparchō adequate clothing gymnos and kai is in need leipō of ho daily ephēmeros food trophē, 16 and de one tis of ek you hymeis says legō to them autos, “ Go hypagō in en peace eirēnē; stay warm thermainō and kai eat your fill chortazō,” and yet de you do not give didōmi them autos what ho their ho body sōma needs epitēdeios, what tis · ho good ophelos is that? 17 In the same way houtōs · kai · ho faith pistis, if ean it has echō no works ergon, is eimi dead nekros, since it is by kata itself heautou. 18 But alla someone tis will say legō, “ You sy have echō faith pistis and I kagō have echō works ergon.” Show deiknymi me egō · ho your sy faith pistis without chōris · ho works ergon, and I kagō will show deiknymi you sy my ho faith pistis by ek · ho my egō works ergon. 19 You sy believe pisteuō that hoti God theos is eimi one heis; · ho you do poieō well kalōs. Even kai the ho demons daimonion believe pisteuō, and kai shudder phrissō.

20 Would you like thelō · de to be shown ginōskō, you ō shallow kenos person anthrōpos, that hoti · ho faith pistis without chōris · ho works ergon is eimi useless argos? 21 Was dikaioō not ou Abraham Abraam · ho our hēmeis father patēr justified dikaioō by ek works ergon when he offered anapherō his autos son hyios Isaac Isaak · ho on epi the ho altar thusiastērion? 22 You see blepō that hoti · ho faith pistis was at work along with synergeō · ho his autos works ergon and kai that his ho faith pistis was made complete teleioō by ek his ho works ergon. 23 And kai the ho scripture graphē was fulfilled plēroō that ho says legō, “ And de Abraham Abraam believed pisteuō · ho God theos, and kai it was credited logizomai to him autos as eis righteousness dikaiosynē,” and kai he was called kaleō the friend philos of God theos. 24 You see horaō that hoti a person anthrōpos is justified dikaioō by ek works ergon and kai not ou by ek faith pistis alone monon. 25 And de in the same way homoiōs was dikaioō not ou also kai Rahab Rhaab the ho harlot pornē justified dikaioō by ek works ergon when she took in hypodechomai the ho spies angelos and kai sent ekballō them out ekballō by another heteros way hodos? 26 For gar just as hōsper the ho body sōma without chōris the spirit pneuma is eimi dead nekros, so houtōs also kai · ho faith pistis devoid chōris of works ergon is eimi dead nekros.

Don’t show favoritism

My brothers and sisters, when you show favoritism you deny the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been resurrected in glory. Imagine two people coming into your meeting. One has a gold ring and fine clothes, while the other is poor, dressed in filthy rags. Then suppose that you were to take special notice of the one wearing fine clothes, saying, “Here’s an excellent place. Sit here.” But to the poor person you say, “Stand over there”; or, “Here, sit at my feet.” Wouldn’t you have shown favoritism among yourselves and become evil-minded judges?

My dear brothers and sisters, listen! Hasn’t God chosen those who are poor by worldly standards to be rich in terms of faith? Hasn’t God chosen the poor as heirs of the kingdom he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Don’t the wealthy make life difficult for you? Aren’t they the ones who drag you into court? Aren’t they the ones who insult the good name spoken over you at your baptism?

You do well when you really fulfill the royal law found in scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself.[a] But when you show favoritism, you are committing a sin, and by that same law you are exposed as a lawbreaker. 10 Anyone who tries to keep all of the Law but fails at one point is guilty of failing to keep all of it. 11 The one who said, Don’t commit adultery, also said, Don’t commit murder.[b] So if you don’t commit adultery but do commit murder, you are a lawbreaker. 12 In every way, then, speak and act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom. 13 There will be no mercy in judgment for anyone who hasn’t shown mercy. Mercy overrules judgment.

Showing faith

14 My brothers and sisters, what good is it if people say they have faith but do nothing to show it? Claiming to have faith can’t save anyone, can it? 15 Imagine a brother or sister who is naked and never has enough food to eat. 16 What if one of you said, “Go in peace! Stay warm! Have a nice meal!”? What good is it if you don’t actually give them what their body needs? 17 In the same way, faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity.

18 Someone might claim, “You have faith and I have action.” But how can I see your faith apart from your actions? Instead, I’ll show you my faith by putting it into practice in faithful action. 19 It’s good that you believe that God is one. Ha! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble with fear. 20 Are you so slow? Do you need to be shown that faith without actions has no value at all? 21 What about Abraham, our father? Wasn’t he shown to be righteous through his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 See, his faith was at work along with his actions. In fact, his faith was made complete by his faithful actions. 23 So the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and God regarded him as righteous.[c] What is more, Abraham was called God’s friend. 24 So you see that a person is shown to be righteous through faithful actions and not through faith alone. 25 In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute shown to be righteous when she received the messengers as her guests and then sent them on by another road? 26 As the lifeless body is dead, so faith without actions is dead.