James 2
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Holman Christian Standard BibleBerean Study Bible
1My brothers, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.1My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.
2For example, a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.
3If you look with favor on the man wearing the fine clothes and say, "Sit here in a good place," and yet you say to the poor man, "Stand over there," or, "Sit here on the floor by my footstool," 3If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,”
4haven't you discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5Listen, my dear brothers: Didn't God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to those who love Him? 5Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
6Yet you dishonored that poor man. Don't the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 6But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?
7Don't they blaspheme the noble name that was pronounced over you at your baptism? 7Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name by which you have been called?
8Indeed, if you keep the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. 8If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
9But if you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10For whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of breaking it all.10Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
11For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. So if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you are a lawbreaker. 11For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom.12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.
13For judgment is without mercy to the one who hasn't shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. 13For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith save him? 14What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
15If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
16and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well," but you don't give them what the body needs, what good is it?16If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that?
17In the same way faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead by itself. 17So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.
18But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works.18But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
19You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe--and they shudder. 19You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? 20O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?
21Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 21Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was perfected.22You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did.
23So the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, and he was called God's friend.23And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.
24You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 24As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone.
25And in the same way, wasn't Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different route?25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies and sent them off on another route?
26For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved.
James 1
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