James 2

Warning Against Partiality

¹My brothers, have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ without showing favoritism.

²For example, suppose a man enters your worship assembly wearing gold rings and fine clothing, and a poor man also enters wearing filthy clothing.[#2:2 Or synagogue]

³If you look with favor on the man wearing fine clothing and say, “Sit here in this good place,” but you tell the poor man, “Stand over there” or “Sit down here at my feet,”[#2:3 Some witnesses to the text omit .]

⁴have you not made a distinction among yourselves and become judges with evil opinions?

⁵Listen, my dear brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom, which he promised to those who love him?

⁶But you dishonored the poor man. Don't the rich oppress you, and don't they drag you into court?

⁷Aren't they the ones who blaspheme the noble name that was pronounced over you?

⁸However, if you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.[#Leviticus 19:18]

⁹But if you show favoritism, you are committing a sin, since you are convicted by this law as transgressors.

Keep the Whole Law

¹⁰In fact, whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of breaking all of it.

¹¹For the one who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.[#Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18; #Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17]

¹²So speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law of freedom.

¹³For there will be judgment without mercy on the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.[#2:13 Or boasts]

Faith Is Active

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if someone says that he has faith but has no works? Such “faith” cannot save him, can it?

¹⁵If a brother or sister needs clothes and lacks daily food

¹⁶and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but does not give them what their body needs, what good is it?

¹⁷So also, such “faith,” if it is alone and has no works, is dead.

¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

¹⁹You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder!

²⁰But do you want proof, you mindless person, that such “faith” without works is dead?[#2:20 Some witnesses to the text read useless .]

²¹Wasn't Abraham our father shown to be righteous by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

²²You see that his faith was working together with his works, and by his works his faith was shown to be complete.

²³And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” He was also called God's friend.[#Genesis 15:6; #2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8]

²⁴You see that a person is shown to be righteous by works and not by faith alone.[#2:24 A few witnesses to the text read So you see .]

²⁵In the same way also, wasn't Rahab the prostitute shown to be righteous by works when she welcomed the spies and sent them out another way?

²⁶For just as the body without breath is dead, so also faith without works is dead.[#2:26 Or the spirit]