James 2
Wycliffe's Bible
1My brethren, do not ye have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory, in (the) acception of persons. [My brothers, do not in acception, or taking, of person, have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory.] (My brothers, ye who have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ in glory, do not have respect for, or favour, certain persons over others.) 2For if a man that hath a golden ring, and in a fair clothing (For if a man who hath a gold ring, and beautiful clothes), cometh in your company, and a poor man entereth in a foul clothing, 3and if ye behold into him that is clothed with clear clothing, and if ye say to him, Sit thou here well (and if ye see him who is clothed with beautiful clothes, and ye say to him, Sit thou here in this favoured place); but to the poor man ye say, Stand thou there, either sit under the stool of my feet; 4whether ye deem not with yourselves, and be made doomsmen, of wicked thoughts? (do not ye judge, and make yourselves judges, with your wicked thoughts?) 5Hear ye, my most dearworthy brethren, whether God chose not poor men in this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, that God promised to men that love him? 6But ye have despised the poor man. Whether rich men oppress not you by power, and they draw you to dooms? (and do they not drag you to the courts?) 7Whether they blaspheme not the good name, that is called to help on you? [Whether they blaspheme not the good name, that is in-called of you?] (Do they not blaspheme the good name, that you call on for help?)

8Nevertheless if ye perform the King's law, by (the) scriptures, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well. 9But if ye take persons, ye work sin, and be reproved of the law, as trespassers, (or as transgressors). (But if ye have respect for, or favour, certain persons over others, ye work sin, and be rebuked by the Law, as trespassers, or as transgressors.) 10And whoever keepeth all the law, but offendeth in one, he is made guilty of all (of it). 11For he that said, Thou shalt do no lechery [Thou shalt not do lechery], said also, Thou shalt not slay; (so) that if thou doest no lechery, but thou slayest, thou art made [a] trespasser of the law. 12Thus speak ye, and thus do ye, as beginning to be deemed, (or to be judged), by the law of freedom. 13For why doom without mercy is to him, that doeth no mercy; but mercy above raiseth doom. (For judgement without mercy is for him, who doeth no mercy; but mercy riseth above, or triumpheth over, judgement.)

14My brethren, what shall it profit, if any man say that he hath faith, but he hath not works? whether faith shall be able to save him? 15And if a brother or sister be naked, and have need of each day's livelode, (or of each day’s lifelode), (And if a brother or sister be naked, and have need of each day’s livelihood,) 16and if any of you say to them, Go ye in peace, be ye made hot, and be ye [full-]filled; but if ye give not to them those things that be necessary to the body, what shall it profit? 17So also faith, if it hath not works, is dead in itself.

18But some man shall say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; show thou to me thy faith without works, and I shall show to thee my faith of works (show to me thy faith without works, and I shall show to thee my faith by my works). 19Thou believest, that one God is; thou doest well; and (the) devils believe, and [together] tremble. 20But wilt thou know, thou vain man (O empty and useless man), that faith without works is idle? 21Whether Abraham, our father, was not justified of works (Was not our father Abraham justified by works), offering Isaac, his son, on the altar? 22Therefore thou seest, that faith wrought with his works, and his faith was [ful]filled of works. (And so thou seest, that faith was at work in his works, and his faith was fulfilled, or was brought to fruition, by his works.) 23And the scripture was [ful]filled, saying, Abraham believed to God, and it was areckoned to him to rightwiseness, and he was called the friend of God. 24Ye see that a man is justified of works, and not of faith only. (And so ye see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.) 25In like manner, whether also Rahab, the whore, was not justified of works (In like manner, was not Rahab, the whore, justified by works), and received the messengers, and sent them out by another way? 26For as the body without (the) spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

WYCLIFFE’S BIBLE

Comprising of
Wycliffe’s Old Testament

and

Wycliffe’s New Testament
(Revised Edition)


Translated by

JOHN WYCLIFFE
and JOHN PURVEY


A modern-spelling edition of their
14TH century Middle English translation,
the first complete English vernacular version,
with an Introduction by

TERENCE P. NOBLE

Used by Permission

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