| NET Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1My brothers and sisters, do not show prejudice if you possess faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. | 1My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. |
| 2For if someone comes into your assembly wearing a gold ring and fine clothing, and a poor person enters in filthy clothes, | 2For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, |
| 3do you pay attention to the one who is finely dressed and say, "You sit here in a good place," and to the poor person, "You stand over there," or "Sit on the floor"? | 3and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” |
| 4If so, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives? | 4have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? |
| 5Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? | 5Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? |
| 6But you have dishonored the poor! Are not the rich oppressing you and dragging you into the courts? | 6But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? |
| 7Do they not blaspheme the good name of the one you belong to? | 7Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? |
| 8But if you fulfill the royal law as expressed in this scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. | 8If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. |
| 9But if you show prejudice, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as violators. | 9But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. |
| 10For the one who obeys the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. | 10For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. |
| 11For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a violator of the law. | 11For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. |
| 12Speak and act as those who will be judged by a law that gives freedom. | 12So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. |
| 13For judgment is merciless for the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over judgment. | 13For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. |
| 14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? | 14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? |
| 15If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, | 15If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, |
| 16and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm and eat well," but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? | 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? |
| 17So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. | 17So also faith by itself, if it does not have 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 faith by my works. | 18But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. |
| 19You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that--and tremble with fear. | 19You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! |
| 20But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless? | 20Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? |
| 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? | 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? |
| 22You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. | 22You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; |
| 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness," and he was called God's friend. | 23and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. |
| 24You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. | 24You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. |
| 25And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? | 25And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute 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 also faith without works is dead. | 26For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. |
|
