James 2
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International Standard VersionNew American Standard Bible 1995
1My brothers, do not let your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be tainted by favoritism. 1My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.
2Suppose a man wearing gold rings and fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in. 2For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,
3If you give special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Please take this seat," but you say to the poor man, "Stand over there" or "Sit on the floor at my feet,"3and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,"
4then you will have made false distinctions among yourselves and will have judged from evil motives, will you not?4have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?
5Listen, my dear brothers! God has chosen the poor in the world to become rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who keep on loving him, has he not? 5Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
6But you have humiliated the man who is poor. Are not rich people the ones who oppress you and drag you into court? 6But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?
7Are not they the ones who blaspheme the noble Name by which you have been called?7Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?
8Nevertheless, you are doing the right thing if you obey the royal Law in keeping with the Scripture, "You must love your neighbor as yourself."8If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well.
9But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and will be convicted by the Law as violators. 9But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10For whoever keeps the whole Law but fails in one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
11For the one who said, "Never commit adultery," also said, "Never murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you become a violator of the Law. 11For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12You must make it your habit to speak and act like people who are going to be judged by the law of liberty. 12So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
13For the one who has shown no mercy will be judged without mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.13For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
14What good does it do, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith but does not prove it with actions? This kind of faith cannot save him, can it? 14What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
15Suppose a brother or sister does not have any clothes or daily food 15If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
16and one of you tells them, "Go in peace! Stay warm and eat heartily." If you do not provide for their bodily needs, what good does it do? 16and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?
17In the same way, faith by itself, if it does not prove itself with actions, is dead.17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
18But someone may say, "You have faith, and I have actions." Show me your faith without any actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions. 18But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
19You believe that there is one God. That's fine! Even the demons believe that and tremble with fear. 19You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
20Do you want proof, you foolish person, that faith without actions is worthless? 20But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
21Our ancestor Abraham was justified by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar, wasn't he? 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22You see that his faith worked together with what he did, and by his actions his faith was made complete. 22You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
23And so the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." And so he was called God's friend. 23and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.
24You observe that a person is justified through actions and not through faith alone. 24You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
25Likewise, Rahab the prostitute was justified through actions when she welcomed the messengers and sent them away on a different road, wasn't she? 25In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
26For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without actions is also dead.26For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
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James 1
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