James 2

1My brothers, do not hold the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with partiality.

2For if a man with a gold ring enters your assembly in splendid clothing, and a poor man also enters in filthy clothing,

3and you look with favor on the one wearing splendid clothing and say, "You sit here well," and to the poor man you say, "You stand there, or sit under my footstool."

4Haven't you discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

5Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen the poor of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?

6But you have dishonored the poor. Don't the rich oppress you, and they themselves drag you into the courts?

7Do they not themselves blaspheme the noble name by which you are called?

8However, if you accomplish the royal law according to the scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you do well.

9But if you show favoritism, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

10For whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of everything.

11For whoever said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." But if you do not commit adultery, yet murder, you have become a transgressor of law.

12So speak and so act as those about to be judged by the law of freedom.

13For judgment without mercy [comes] to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

14What advantage is there, my brothers, if someone professes to have faith but has no works? Can that faith save him?

15If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food,

16If one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm and well fed," but you do not provide what their bodies need, what benefit is that?

17Thus also faith, if it has no works, is dead on its own.

18But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith apart from works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

19You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe and shudder.

20But do you want to know, empty man, that faith apart from works is barren?

21Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

22You see that faith worked together with his works, and faith was perfected from the works.

23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.

24You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith only.

25Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

26For as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.