| 2:1 |
My brothers, don't hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality. |
| 2:2 |
For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue { or, meeting }, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in; |
| 2:3 |
and 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;" |
| 2:4 |
haven't you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? |
| 2:5 |
Listen, 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? |
| 2:6 |
But you have dishonored the poor man. Don't the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts? |
| 2:7 |
Don't they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called? |
| 2:8 |
However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," { Leviticus 19:18 } you do well. |
| 2:9 |
But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. |
| 2:10 |
For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. |
| 2:11 |
For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," { Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18 } also said, "Do not commit murder." { Exodus 10:13; Deuteronomy 5:17 } Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. |
| 2:12 |
So speak, and so do, as men who are to be judged by a law of freedom. |
| 2:13 |
For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. |
| 2:14 |
What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him? |
| 2:15 |
And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, |
| 2:16 |
and 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? |
| 2:17 |
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself. |
| 2:18 |
Yes, 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. |
| 2:19 |
You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder. |
| 2:20 |
But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead? |
| 2:21 |
Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? |
| 2:22 |
You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected; |
| 2:23 |
and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness;" { Genesis 15:16 } and he was called the friend of God. |
| 2:24 |
You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith. |
| 2:25 |
In like manner wasn't Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? |
| 2:26 |
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead. |
