8If you really fulfill the royal law found in Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev19:18), you do well; 9But if you show favoritism, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as a lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law, except in just one point, he is in violation of the whole law. 11For He Who said, “Do not commit adultery”, also said, “Do not murder”. Now if you commit no adultery, and yet you commit murder, you are a lawbreaker. 12So whatever you say or do, do so remembering you shall be judged by the law that sets you free. 13Because judgment without mercy shall be shown to those that have shown no mercy; and mercy triumphs over (trumps) judgment.

14What good does it do, brothers and sisters, for someone to say he has faith, but it does not show in his actions? Can that kind of faith save him? 15If a brother or sister lacks warm clothing or food, 16And one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled”; but does nothing to provide for their physical needs, what good does it do? 17In the same way, faith by itself - if not reflected in behavior, is dead (useless). 18But someone might say, “You have faith, and I have works (deeds or action)”; you show me your faith without your works (actions), and I will show you my faith by my works (actions). 19You say you believe that there is one God; good, you do well. But even the demons believe, and tremble (shudder)! 20Do you still need to be shown, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21Was Abraham, our father, not considered justified (righteous) by his works – by what he did, when he offered his son, Isaac, upon the altar? 22Do you not see how his faith and his actions worked together; and his faith was made complete by what he did – his actions (works), and by his actions, his faith was made perfect? 23And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed (credited) to him for righteousness” (Gen.15:6); and he was called “the friend of God” (2 Chron.20:7, Is. 41:8). 24You see, then, how that it is by what a person does, and not just by their faith alone, that a person is justified. 25In the same manner, even Rahab, the harlot, was justified (and spared) by her actions (works), when she had received and hid those Jericho messengers (Joshua’s spies), and had sent them out safely by a different way? 26And so, just as the body without breath or spirit is dead, so also, faith, without works, is also dead (useless).