1 ¶ My brethren, do not have the faith of our Lord Jesus, the glorious Christ, 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 a man with a gold ring and in precious apparel comes into your synagogue and a poor person in vile raiment also comes in,

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 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:

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

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

5 H earken, 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?

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

But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

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

Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?

8 ¶ If ye truly fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour 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 to persons, ye commit sin and are accused of the law as rebels.

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

10 F or whosoever shall have kept the whole law, and then offends in one point is made 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, 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.

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 those that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

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

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

For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. Faith and Works

14 ¶ 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?

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 is naked and destitute of daily food,

If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,

16 a nd 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?

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 does not have works, is dead in and of itself.

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

18 B ut 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.

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 tremble.

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

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

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 when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?

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

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

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

23 A nd 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.

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 then how 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 L ikewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when 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 without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

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