1 My brethren, are you holding the faith of Jesus Christ our :Lord of the glory with respect of persons? 2 For if a man come into your :synagogue with a gold ring, in brilliant clothing, and a poor man also come in mean clothing; 3 and ye have regard to him that weareth the brilliant :clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor, THOU stand or sit there under my :footstool; 4 did ye not discriminate among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not :God choose the poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him? 6 But YE have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before judgmentseats? 7 Do not THEY blaspheme the honorable name by which ye are called? 8 Howbeit if ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy :neighbor as thyself, ye do well: 9 but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and stumble in one point, is become guilty of all. 11 For who said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become transgressor of the law. 12 So speak, and so do, as those to be judged by a law of liberty. 13 For the judgment is without mercy to him that hath shown no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment. 14 What profits it, my brethren, if one say he hath faith, but have not works? can the faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and lacking daily :food, 16 and one of you say to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled; and ye give them not the things needful to the body; what profits it? 17 Even so the faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. 18 But one will say, THOU hast faith, and I have works: show me thy :faith apart from the works, and I by my :works will show thee the faith. 19 THOU believest that God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that the faith apart from the works is barren? 21 Was not Abraham our :father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his :son upon the altar? 22 Thou seest that the faith wrought with the works, and by the works was the faith perfected; 23 and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And he—Abraham—believed :God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness; and he was called God’s friend. 24 Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith alone. 25 And likewise was not also Raab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? 26 Just as the body apart from spirit is dead, even so :faith apart from works is dead.
