21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?(A) 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together,(B) and his faith was made complete by what he did.(C) 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[a](D) and he was called God’s friend.(E) 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?(F) 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. James 2:23 Gen. 15:6

21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”[a] He was even called the friend of God.[b] 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath,[c] so also faith is dead without good works.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:23a Gen 15:6.
  2. 2:23b See Isa 41:8.
  3. 2:26 Or without spirit.