| New King James Version | King James Bible |
| 1My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. | 1My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. |
| 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, | 2For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; |
| 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,” | 3And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: |
| 4have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? | 4Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of 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? | 5Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? |
| 6But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? | 6But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? |
| 7Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? | 7Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? |
| 8If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; | 8If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: |
| 9but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. | 9But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. |
| 10For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. | 10For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. |
| 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 that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. |
| 12So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. | 12So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. |
| 13For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. | 13For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. |
| 14What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? | 14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? |
| 15If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, | 15If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of 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? | 16And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? |
| 17Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. | 17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. |
| 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. | 18Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. |
| 19You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! | 19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. |
| 20But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? | 20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? |
| 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 had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? |
| 22Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? | 22Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? |
| 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 which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. |
| 24You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. | 24Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. |
| 25Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? | 25Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? |
| 26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. | 26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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