1 M y Christian brothers, our Lord Jesus Christ is the Lord of shining-greatness. Since your trust is in Him, do not look on one person as more important than another.

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

2 W hat if a man comes into your church wearing a gold ring and good clothes? And at the same time a poor man comes wearing old clothes.

For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

3 W hat if you show respect to the man in good clothes and say, “Come and sit in this good place”? But if you say to the poor man, “Stand up over there,” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”

And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay 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 a re you not thinking that one is more important than the other? This kind of thinking is sinful.

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

5 L isten, my dear Christian brothers, God has chosen those who are poor in the things of this world to be rich in faith. The holy nation of heaven is theirs. That is what God promised to those who love Him.

Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

6 Y ou have not shown respect to the poor man. Is it not the rich men who make it hard for you and take you to court?

But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

7 T hey speak against the name of Christ. And it was Christ Who called you.

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

8 Y ou do well when you obey the Holy Writings which say, “You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

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

9 B ut if you look on one man as more important than another, you are sinning. And the Law says you are sinning. Keep the Whole Law

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

10 I f you obey all the Laws but one, you are as guilty as the one who has broken them all.

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 T he One Who said, “You must not do any sex sins,” also said, “You must not kill another person.” If you do no sex sins but kill someone, you are guilty of breaking the Law.

For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

12 K eep on talking and acting as people who will be told they are guilty or not by the Law that makes men free.

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

13 A nyone who shows no loving-kindness will have no loving-kindness shown to him when he is told he is guilty. But if you show loving-kindness, God will show loving-kindness to you when you are told you are guilty. Faith Without Works Is Dead

For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

14 M y Christian brothers, what good does it do if you say you have faith but do not do things that prove you have faith? Can that kind of faith save you from the punishment of sin?

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

15 W hat if a Christian does not have clothes or food?

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

16 A nd one of you says to him, “Goodbye, keep yourself warm and eat well.” But if you do not give him what he needs, how does that help him?

And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

17 A faith that does not do things is a dead faith.

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18 S omeone may say, “You have faith, and I do things. Prove to me you have faith when you are doing nothing. I will prove to you I have faith by doing things.”

Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

19 Y ou believe there is one God. That is good! But even the demons believe that, and because they do, they shake.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 Y ou foolish man! Do I have to prove to you that faith without doing things is of no use?

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 W as not our early father Abraham right with God by what he did? He obeyed God and put his son Isaac on the altar to die.

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

22 Y ou see his faith working by what he did and his faith was made perfect by what he did.

Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

23 I t happened as the Holy Writings said it would happen. They say, “Abraham put his trust in God and he became right with God.” He was called the friend of God.

And 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 A man becomes right with God by what he does and not by faith only.

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

25 T he same was true with Rahab, the woman who sold the use of her body. She became right with God by what she did in helping the men who had been sent to look through the country and sent them away by another road.

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

26 T he body is dead when there is no spirit in it. It is the same with faith. Faith is dead when nothing is done.

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