| Chapter 2 |
1 |
My brothers, don`t hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. |
2 |
For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your assembly, and there come in also a poor man in filthy clothing; |
3 |
and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing, and say, "Sit here in a good place;" and you tell the poor man, "Stand there," or "Sit by my footstool;" |
4 |
haven`t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? |
5 |
Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn`t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him? |
6 |
But you have dishonored the poor man. Don`t the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts? |
7 |
Don`t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called? |
8 |
However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well. |
9 |
But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. |
10 |
For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he has become guilty of all. |
11 |
For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," said also, "Do not commit murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. |
12 |
So speak, and so do, as men who are to be judged by a law of freedom. |
13 |
For judgment is without mercy to him who has showed no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. |
14 |
What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can that faith save him? |
15 |
And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, |
16 |
and one of you tells them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled;" and yet you didn`t give them the things the body needs, what good is it? |
17 |
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself. |
18 |
Yes, a man will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. |
19 |
You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder. |
20 |
But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead? |
21 |
Wasn`t Abraham, our father, justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? |
22 |
You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected; |
23 |
and the scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness;" and he was called the friend of God. |
24 |
You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith. |
25 |
In like manner wasn`t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? |
26 |
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead. |