James 2 ~ James 2

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

My brethren, hold not, in respect of persons, the faith of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,

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 there may come into your synagogue a man with gold ring, in gay raiment, and there may come in also a poor man in vile raiment,

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 may look upon him bearing the gay raiment, and may say to him, `Thou -- sit thou here well,' and to the poor man may say, `Thou -- stand thou there, or, Sit thou here under my footstool,' --

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

ye did not judge fully in yourselves, and did become ill-reasoning judges.

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 brethren beloved, did not God choose the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the reign that He promised to those loving Him?

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

and ye did dishonour the poor one; do not the rich oppress you and themselves draw you to judgment-seats;

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

do they not themselves speak evil of the good name that was called upon you?

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

If, indeed, royal law ye complete, according to the Writing, `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.

and if ye accept persons, sin ye do work, being 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 the whole law shall keep, and shall stumble in one, he hath 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 is saying, `Thou mayest not commit adultery,' said also, `Thou mayest do no murder;' and if thou shalt not commit adultery, and shalt commit murder, thou hast become a transgressor of 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 about by a law of liberty to be judged,

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

for the judgment without kindness to him not having done kindness, and exult doth kindness over 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?

What the profit, my brethren, if faith, any one may speak of having, and works he may not have? is that faith able to save him?

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

and if a brother or sister may be naked, and may be destitute of the 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 any one of you may say to them, `Depart ye in peace, be warmed, and be filled,' and may not give to them the things needful for the body, what the profit?

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

so also the faith, if it may not have works, is dead 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 say may some one, Thou hast faith, and I have works, shew me thy faith out of thy works, and I will shew thee out of my works my faith:

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

thou -- thou dost believe that God is one; thou dost well, and the demons believe, and they shudder!

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

And dost thou wish to know, O vain man, that the faith apart from the works is dead?

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

Abraham our father -- was not he declared righteous out of works, having brought up Isaac his son upon the altar?

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

dost thou see that the faith was working with his works, and out of the works the 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 fulfilled was the Writing that is saying, `And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness;' and, `Friend of God' he was called.

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

Ye see, then, that out of works is man declared righteous, and not out of faith only;

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?

and in like manner also Rahab the harlot -- was she not out of works declared righteous, having received the messengers, and by another way having sent forth?

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

for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also the faith apart from the works is dead.