1 M y brethren, do not have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, 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 synagogue a man with a gold ring in splendid apparel, and a poor man also come in in vile apparel,

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 look upon him who wears the splendid apparel, and say, Do thou sit here well, and say to the poor, Do thou stand 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 h ave ye not made a difference among yourselves, and become judges having evil thoughts?

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

5 H ear, my beloved brethren: Has not God chosen the poor as to the world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he has 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 the rich oppress you, and they drag you before tribunals?

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 A nd they blaspheme the excellent name which has been called upon you?

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

8 I f indeed ye keep 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 of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by 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 whoever shall keep the whole law and shall offend in one, he has come under the guilt 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 who said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become transgressor of 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 act, as those that are to be judged by law of liberty;

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

13 f or judgment without mercy to him that has shewn no mercy. Mercy glories over judgment.

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

14 W hat the profit, my brethren, if any one say he have faith, but 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 N ow if a brother or a sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

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

16 a nd one from amongst you say to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled; but give not to them the needful things for the body, what the 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 S o also faith, if it have not works, is dead by itself.

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 B ut some one will say, Thou hast faith and I have works. Shew me thy faith without works, and I from my works will shew thee my faith.

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 God is one. Thou doest well. The demons even 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 T hou seest that faith wrought with his works, and that by works faith was perfected.

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 says, Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called 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 that a man is justified on the principle of works, and not on the principle of faith only.

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

25 B ut was not in like manner also Rahab the harlot justified on the principle of works, when she had received the messengers and put forth by 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 a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

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