James (The General Epistle of )

My brothers, do not with respect of persons have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the [Lord] of glory.

For if a gold-fingered man in splendid clothing comes into your synagogue, and a poor one in shabby clothing also comes in;

and you look on the one wearing the splendid clothing, and say to him, You sit here comfortably; and to the poor one you say, You stand there, or, Sit here under my footstool;

did you not also make a difference among yourselves and become judges [with] evil thoughts?

Hear, 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 the ones loving Him?

But you dishonored the poor one. Do not the rich ones oppress you, and they drag you to judgment seats?

Do they not blaspheme the good Name called on you?

If you truly fulfill [the] royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well.

But if you have partiality to persons, you work sin, having been found guilty as transgressors by the law.

For whoever shall keep all the law, but stumbles in one, he has become guilty of all.

For He who said, "You shall not commit adultery," also said, "You shall not murder." But if you do not commit adultery, but commit murder, you have become a transgressor of [the] law.

So speak and so do as being about to be judged by [the] law of liberty.

For judgment [will be] without mercy to the [one] not doing mercy. And mercy rejoices over judgment.

My brothers, what [is] the gain if anyone says he has faith, but he does not have works? Is faith able to save him?

But if a brother or a sister is naked and may be lacking in daily food,

and any one of you say to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled, but does not give them the things the body needs, what gain [is it]?

So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself.

But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith out of my works.

You believe that God is one. You do well; even the demons believe and shudder.

But are you willing to know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?

Was not our father Abraham justified by works offering up his son Isaac on the altar?

You see that faith worked with his works; and out of the works the faith was made perfected.

And the Scripture was fulfilled, saying, "And Abraham believed God, and it was counted for righteousness to him;" and he was called, Friend of God.

You see, then, that a man is justified out of works, and not out of faith only.

But in the same way Rahab the harlot was also justified out of works, having received the messengers, and sending them out by another way.

For as the body is dead apart from the spirit, so also faith is dead apart from works.