For if a man comes into your [a]assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in (A)bright clothes, and a poor man in (B)dirty clothes also comes in, and you [b]pay special attention to the one who is wearing the (C)bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges (D)with evil [c]motives?

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Footnotes

  1. James 2:2 Or synagogue
  2. James 2:3 Lit look at
  3. James 2:4 Lit reasonings

For if a man comes into your [a]meeting place [b]wearing a gold ring and [c]fine clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in, and you pay special attention to the one who wears the [d]fine clothes, and say to him, “You sit here in this good seat,” and you tell the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down [on the floor] by my footstool,” have you not discriminated among yourselves, and become judges with wrong motives?

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Footnotes

  1. James 2:2 Lit synagogue. This word comes directly from the Greek for “gather together,” and in the present context might refer in particular to a synagogue where Christians were allowed to meet.
  2. James 2:2 In the Greco-Roman world men wore simple clothing and no jewelry except for a ring. The wealthy were distinguished by the cleanliness of their clothes and a gold signet ring.
  3. James 2:2 Lit brightly shining.
  4. James 2:3 Lit brightly shining.