Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

2 ¶ My brethren, do not have the faith of our Lord Jesus, the glorious Christ, with respect of persons.

² For if a man with a gold ring and in precious apparel comes into your synagogue and a poor person in vile raiment also comes in,

³ and ye have respect to him that wears the precious clothing and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there or sit here under my footstool:

⁴ Are ye not then judging in yourselves and are become judges of evil thoughts?

⁵ Hearken, my beloved brethren, Has not God chosen the poor of this world that they might be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those that love him?

⁶ But ye have despised the poor. Do not the rich oppress you with tyranny and draw you with violence to the courts?

⁷ Do they not blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called?

⁸ ¶ If ye truly fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well;

⁹ but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin and are accused of the law as rebels.

¹⁰ For whosoever shall have kept the whole law, and then offends in one point is made guilty of all.

¹¹ For he that said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not murder. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou commit murder, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

¹² So speak ye and so do as those that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

¹³ For judgment without mercy shall be done unto the one that has shown no mercy; and mercy boasts against judgment.

¹⁴ ¶ My brethren, What shall it profit though someone says that they have faith and do not have works? Shall this type of faith be able to save them?

¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

¹⁶ and one of you says unto them, Depart in peace; be ye warmed and filled; but ye do not give them those things which are needful for the body; what shall it profit them?

¹⁷ Even so faith, if it does not have works, is dead in and of itself.

¹⁸ But someone may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.

¹⁹ Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well; the demons also believe and tremble.

²⁰ But, O vain man, dost thou desire to know that faith without works is dead?

²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?

²² Dost thou not see how the faith worked together with his works, and the faith was complete by the works?

²³ And that the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness, and he was called the Friend of God.

²⁴ Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.

²⁵ Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

3 ¶ My brethren, make not unto yourselves many teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

² For we all offend in many things. If any man offends not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to govern the whole body with restraint.

³ Behold, we put bits (or restraint) in the horses’ mouths to persuade them, and we govern their whole body.

⁴ Behold also the ships, which though they are so great are driven of fierce winds, yet they are governed with a very small rudder, wherever the governor desires.

⁵ In the same manner, the tongue is a very small member and boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest a little fire kindles!

⁶ And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

⁷ For every nature of beasts and of birds and of serpents and of beings in the sea may be tamed and is tamed by mankind,

⁸ but no man can tame the tongue, which is an evil that cannot be restrained and is full of deadly poison.

⁹ With it we bless God, even the Father; and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God.

¹⁰ Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

¹¹ Does a fountain send forth at the same place both sweet and bitter water?

¹² Can the fig tree, my brethren, produce olive berries? or the vine, figs? In the same manner no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

¹³ ¶ Who is wise and ready among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works in meekness of wisdom.

¹⁴ But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, boast not and do not be liars against the truth.

¹⁵ This wisdom is not that which descends from above, but is earthly, natural, diabolical.

¹⁶ For where there is envy and contention, there is confusion and every perverse work.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, modest, benevolent, full of mercy and of good fruits, not judgmental, unfeigned.

¹⁸ And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace unto those that make peace.