| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. | 1My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism. |
| 2For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, | 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. |
| 3and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at 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,” |
| 4have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? | 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? |
| 5Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He 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? |
| 6But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not 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? |
| 7Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? | 7Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name by which you have been called? |
| 8If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; | 8If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. |
| 9but if you show partiality, 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 shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of 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.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. | 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. |
| 12So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. | 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 has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. | 13For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. |
| 14What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can 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 naked and destitute of daily food, | 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. |
| 16and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? | 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? |
| 17Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. | 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 your works, and I will show you my faith by 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 there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! | 19You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. |
| 20But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? | 20O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless? |
| 21Was not 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? |
| 22Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? | 22You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did. |
| 23And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. | 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 then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. | 24As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone. |
| 25Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? | 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 as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. | 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. |
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