James 2

Revised Geneva Translation

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

² For if a man with a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly. And then, also, a poor man in rags comes in.

³ And you have respect for the one wearing the fine clothing, saying to him, “Sit here in a good place”. Yet you say to the poor, “Stand over there”, or “Sit here under my footstool”.

⁴ Are you not partial among yourselves, becoming judges of evil thoughts?

⁵ Listen, my beloved brothers. Has not God chosen 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 despised the poor. Do not the rich oppress you by tyranny? And do they not draw you before the judgment seats?

⁷ Do they not blaspheme the worthy Name after which you are named?

⁸ But 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 favoritism, you commit sin and are rebuked by the Law as transgressors.

¹⁰ For whoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet fails in one point, he is guilty of all.

¹¹ For He Who said, “You shall not commit adultery”, also said, “You shall not kill”. Now, though you do no adultery, if you kill you are still a transgressor of the Law.

¹² So speak and so do as those who shall be judged by the Law of liberty.

¹³ For there shall be merciless condemnation for the one who does not show mercy. And mercy rejoices against condemnation.

¹⁴ What profit is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but has no works? Can faith save him?

¹⁵ For if a brother or a sister is naked and without daily food,

¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace. Warm yourselves and fill your bellies”, what help is it if you don’t give them those things which the body needs?

¹⁷ Even so, faith - if it has no works - is dead by itself.

¹⁸ But someone might 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.

¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. You do well. The demons also believe it, and tremble.

²⁰ But will you understand, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

²¹ Was not our father Abraham justified through works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?

²² Do you not see that faith worked with his works? And through works was faith made perfect.

²³ And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness”. And he was called the friend of God.

²⁴ You see then how a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

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

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