1 M y brothers, don’t hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality.

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

2 F or if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in;

For 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,

3 a nd you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing, and say, “Sit here in a good place”; and you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool”;

and 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:

4 h aven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

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

5 L isten, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him?

Hearken, 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?

6 B ut you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?

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

7 D on’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?

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

8 H owever, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.

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

9 B ut if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin and are accused of the law as rebels.

10 F or whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

For whosoever shall have kept the whole law, and then offends in one point is made guilty of all.

11 F or he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

For 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.

12 S o speak, and so do, as men who are to be judged by a law of freedom.

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

13 F or judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

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

14 W hat good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?

¶ 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?

15 A nd if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,

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

16 a nd one of you tells them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled”; and yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it?

and 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?

17 E ven so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.

Even so faith, if it does not have works, is dead in and of itself.

18 Y es, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.

But 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.

19 Y ou believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.

Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well; the demons also believe and tremble.

20 B ut do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?

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

21 W asn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

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

22 Y ou see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected;

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

23 a nd the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness”; and he was called the friend of God.

And 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.

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

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

25 I n the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?

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

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

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