James 2Book 59 of 66 · 26 verses · MBT primary, NKJV fallback where MBT pending

  1. My brothers, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with an attitude of partiality.
  2. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and fine clothing — and a poor man also comes in dirty clothes —
  3. and you pay special attention to the one wearing the fine clothing, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and to the poor one, "You stand there," or, "Sit down by my footstool" —
  4. have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
  5. Listen, my beloved brothers — did not God choose the poor of 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. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?
  7. Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?
  8. If, however, you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.
  9. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin — and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
  10. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point — he has become guilty of all.
  11. For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder — you have become a transgressor of the law.
  12. So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
  13. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
  14. What use is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
  15. If a brother or sister is without clothing and lacks the daily food,
  16. and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled" — and yet you do not give them what is needed for the body — what use is that?
  17. Even so, faith — if it has no works — is dead, being by itself.
  18. But someone may well say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
  19. You believe that God is one. You do well — the demons also believe, and shudder.
  20. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish man, that faith without works is useless?
  21. Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
  22. You see that faith was working with his works — and as a result of the works, faith was made complete.
  23. And the Scripture was fulfilled, which says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God.
  24. You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.
  25. And in the same way, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
  26. For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.