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James 2:1-13
New International Version
James 2:1-13
New International Version
Favoritism Forbidden
2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious(A) Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.(B) 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges(C) with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters:(D) Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world(E) to be rich in faith(F) and to inherit the kingdom(G) he promised those who love him?(H) 6 But you have dishonored the poor.(I) Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?(J) 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a](K) you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism,(L) you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.(M) 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles(N) at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.(O) 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b](P) also said, “You shall not murder.”[c](Q) If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged(R) by the law that gives freedom,(S) 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.(T) Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Footnotes
- James 2:8 Lev. 19:18
- James 2:11 Exodus 20:14; Deut. 5:18
- James 2:11 Exodus 20:13; Deut. 5:17
James 2:1-13
English Standard Version
James 2:1-13
English Standard Version
The Sin of Partiality
2 My brothers,[a] (A)show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, (B)the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” (C)while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become (D)judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, (E)has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be (F)rich in faith and heirs of (G)the kingdom, (H)which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you (I)have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who (J)drag you (K)into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable (L)name by which you were called?
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, (M)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you (N)show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point (O)has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, (P)“Do not commit adultery,” also said, (Q)“Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under (R)the law of liberty. 13 For (S)judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
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- James 2:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 14
James 2:1-13
International Children’s Bible
James 2:1-13
International Children’s Bible
Love All People
2 My dear brothers, you are believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. So never think that some people are more important than others. 2 Suppose someone comes into your church meeting wearing very nice clothes and a gold ring. At the same time a poor man comes in wearing old, dirty clothes. 3 You show special attention to the one wearing nice clothes. You say, “Please, sit here in this good seat.” But you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor by my feet!” 4 What are you doing? You are making some people more important than others. With evil thoughts you are deciding which person is better.
5 Listen, my dear brothers! God chose the poor in the world to be rich with faith. He chose them to receive the kingdom God promised to people who love him. 6 But you show no respect to the poor man. And you know that it is the rich who are always trying to control your lives. And they are the ones who take you to court. 7 They are the ones who say bad things against Jesus, who owns you.
8 One law rules over all other laws. This royal law is found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”[a] If you obey this law, then you are doing right. 9 But if you are treating one person as if he were more important than another, then you are sinning. That royal law proves that you are guilty of breaking God’s law. 10 A person might follow all of God’s law. But if he fails to obey even one command, he is guilty of breaking all the commands in that law. 11 God said, “You must not be guilty of adultery.”[b] The same God also said, “You must not murder anyone.”[c] So if you do not take part in adultery, but you murder someone, then you are guilty of breaking all of God’s law. 12 You will be judged by the law that makes people free. You should remember this in everything you say and do. 13 Yes, you must show mercy to others, or God will not show mercy to you when he judges you. But the person who shows mercy can stand without fear when he is judged.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2:8 “Love . . . yourself.” Quotation from Leviticus 19:18.
- 2:11 “You . . . adultery.” Quotation from Exodus 20:14 and Deuteronomy 5:18.
- 2:11 “You . . . anyone.” Quotation from Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17.
James 2:1-13
Christian Standard Bible
James 2:1-13
Christian Standard Bible
The Sin of Favoritism
2 My brothers and sisters, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.(A) 2 For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed in filthy clothes also comes in, 3 if you look with favor on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor person, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” 4 haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world(B) to be rich in faith(C) and heirs(D) of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 Yet you have dishonored the poor.(E) Don’t the rich oppress you and drag(F) you into court? 7 Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?(G)
8 Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself,[a](H) you are doing well. 9 If, however, you show favoritism,(I) you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.(J) 11 For he who said, Do not commit adultery,[b] also said, Do not murder.[c](K) So if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom.(L) 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy.(M) Mercy triumphs over judgment.
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James 2:1-13
New Living Translation
James 2:1-13
New Living Translation
A Warning against Prejudice
2 My dear brothers and sisters,[a] how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?
2 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting[b] dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, 4 doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?
5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? 6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name[c] you bear?
8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[d] 9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.
10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. 11 For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.”[e] So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.
12 So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. 13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.
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- 2:1 Greek brothers; also in 2:5, 14.
- 2:2 Greek your synagogue.
- 2:7 Greek slander the noble name.
- 2:8 Lev 19:18.
- 2:11 Exod 20:13-14; Deut 5:17-18.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
International Children’s Bible (ICB) 
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.