James 2

Do not show favoritism

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.a ²Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. ³If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”b ⁴have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?c

⁵Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?d ⁶But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?e ⁷Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

⁸If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.f ⁹But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.g ¹⁰For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.h

¹¹For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.i ¹²Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,j ¹³because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.k

Faith without works is dead

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?l ¹⁵Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.m ¹⁶If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?n

¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.o ¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.p ¹⁹You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.q

²⁰You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? ²¹Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?r ²²You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

²³And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.s ²⁴You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.t ²⁵In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?u

²⁶As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.v