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 hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

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 comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,

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 you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine 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,”

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

have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

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?

Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who 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 you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

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

Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been 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, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “ You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

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

But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

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

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become 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 who said, “ Do not commit adultery,” also said, “ Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have 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 and so act as those who are to 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 will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. Faith and Works

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

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

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

If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need 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 to them, “ Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

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

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by 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 well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

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

You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

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

But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

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 up Isaac his son on the altar?

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

You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;

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 the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “ And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as 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.

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

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?

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

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

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