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

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

2 F or if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing;

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 a nd ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool;

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 D o ye not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

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

5 H earken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?

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 B ut ye have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats?

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

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

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

8 H owbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well:

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

9 b ut if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

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

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

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

11 F or he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

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 S o speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty.

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

13 F or judgment is without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment.

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

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

¶ 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 I f a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food,

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

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

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 E ven so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

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

18 Y ea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith.

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 T hou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder.

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

20 B ut wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren?

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

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

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

22 T hou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect;

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

23 a nd the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God.

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

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

25 A nd in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?

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

26 F or as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

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