James

2* My brothers, let it not be with partiality that you hold the faith of our Lord of glory Jesus Christ. 2 For if there comes into a synagogue of yours a man with a gold ring, in splendid dress, and there comes in also a poor man in soiled dress, 3 and you take notice of the one who wears the splendid dress and say “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man “You stand there, or sit under my footstool,”— 4* are you not in conflict with yourselves, and have you not shown yourselves judges swayed by base influences? 5 Listen, my dear brothers: did not God choose those who are poor as to the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the royalty which he promised to those who love him? 6 but you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich tyrannize over you and do not they drag you before tribunals? 7 do not they blaspheme the goodly name by which you are called?

8 If, however, you fulfill the royal law according to the text “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; 9 but if you show partiality you are practicing sin, being convicted by the law as violators. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but makes a slip in one point has become guilty of all. 11 For he who said “Do not commit adultery” said also “Do not murder”; and if you do not commit adultery but do commit murder you have become a violator of the law. 12 So speak, and so do, as men who are to be judged by a law of liberty. 13* For justice is pitiless to him who has not showed pity; pity flouts justice.

14 What is the use, my brothers, if one says he has faith, but does not have deeds? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, 16 and one of you say to them “Good luck to you, keep warm and eat heartily,” but you do not give them what is requisite for the body, what is the use? 17 just so faith, if it does not have deeds, is dead in itself. 18 But a man 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. 19** You believe that there is one God? you do well: the demons too believe, and shiver. 20 But do you want to know, hollow man, that faith without deeds is idle? 21 Was not Father Abraham justified by deeds, in that he sacrificed his son Isaac on the altar? 22 do you perceive that faith cooperated with his deeds, and faith was perfected by deeds? 23 and the text which says ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was counted as righteousness for him, and he was called God’s friend’ was fulfilled.” 24 You see that a man is justified by deeds and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not Rahab the prostitute justified by deeds, when she took in the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without deeds is dead.