1 M y brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

My brethren, pay no servile regard to people. Do not hold and practice the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory!

2 F or if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

For if a person comes into your congregation whose hands are adorned with gold rings and who is wearing splendid apparel, and also a poor in shabby clothes comes in,

3 a nd ye have respect to him that weareth the gay 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:

And you pay special attention to the one who wears the splendid clothes and say to him, Sit here in this preferable seat! while you tell the poor, Stand there! or, Sit there on the floor at my feet!

4 a re ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

Are you not discriminating among your own and becoming critics and judges with wrong motives?

5 H earken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

Listen, my beloved brethren: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and in their position as believers and to inherit the kingdom which He has promised to those who love Him?

6 B ut ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

But you have insulted (humiliated, dishonored, and shown your contempt for) the poor. Is it not the rich who domineer over you? Is it not they who drag you into the law courts?

7 D o not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

Is it not they who slander and blaspheme that precious name by which you are distinguished and called ?

8 I f ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

If indeed you fulfill the royal Law in accordance with the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well.

9 b ut if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

But if you show servile regard (prejudice, favoritism) for people, you commit sin and are rebuked and convicted by the Law as violators and offenders.

10 F or whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

For whosoever keeps the Law whole but stumbles and offends in one has become guilty of all of it.

11 F or he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

For He Who said, You shall not commit adultery, also said, You shall not kill. If you do not commit adultery but do kill, you have become guilty of transgressing the Law.

12 S o speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

So speak and so act as who are to be judged under the law of liberty.

13 F or he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

For to him who has shown no mercy the judgment merciless, but mercy exults victoriously over judgment.

14 W hat doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

What is the use (profit), my brethren, for anyone to profess to have faith if he has no works ? Can faith save ?

15 I f a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

If a brother or sister is poorly clad and lacks food for each day,

16 a nd one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

And one of you says to him, Good-bye! Keep warm and well fed, without giving him the necessities for the body, what good does that do?

17 E ven so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).

18 Y ea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Now you show me your faith apart from any works, and I by works will show you my faith.

19 T hou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder '> make a man’s hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin]!

20 B ut wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Are you willing to be shown, you foolish (unproductive, spiritually deficient) fellow, that faith apart from works is inactive and ineffective and worthless?

21 W as not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Was not our forefather Abraham justified (made acceptable to God) by works when he brought to the altar as an offering his son Isaac?

22 S eest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

You see that faith was cooperating with his works, and faith was completed and reached its supreme expression by works.

23 A nd 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.

And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) God, and this was accounted to him as righteousness (as conformity to God’s will in thought and deed), and he was called God’s friend.

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

You see that a man is justified (pronounced righteous before God) through what he does and not alone through faith.

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

So also with Rahab the harlot—was she not shown to be justified (pronounced righteous before God) by deeds when she took in the scouts (spies) and sent them away by a different route?

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

For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from works of obedience is also dead.