James 2

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

1My brothers and sisters, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism to some people over others.

2For 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;

2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fancy clothes, and at the same time a poor man comes in wearing shabby clothes.

3and 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;

3If you give special attention to the one wearing fine clothes and say, 'Sit here in this good seat,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand over there,' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet,'

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

4haven't you discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil motives?

5Hearken, 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?

5Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Hasn't God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised to those who love him?

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

6But you have insulted the poor. Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?

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

7Aren't they the ones who slander the noble name of the one to whom you belong?

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

8If you really carry out the royal law found in the Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right.

9but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

9But if you show favoritism, you are sinning and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

10For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all.

10For whoever keeps the entire law but fails in just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

11For 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.

11For the same God who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' also said, 'Do not murder.' If you do not commit adultery but you do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

12So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty.

12Speak and act like people who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.

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

13For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

14What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him?

14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no actions to show for it? Can that kind of faith save them?

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

15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and doesn't have enough daily food.

16and 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?

16If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and eat well,' but you do not give them the physical things they need, what good does that do?

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

17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18Yea, 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.

18But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

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

19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and they tremble with fear.

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

20You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

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

21Wasn't our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

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

22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

23and 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.

23And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called God’s friend.

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

24You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

25And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?

25In the same way, wasn't even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them out by a different route?

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

26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.