James 2
Lamsa Bible Par ▾ 
1MY brethren, do not, with hypocrisy, uphold the glorious faith of our LORD Jesus Christ. 2For if there should enter into your synagogue a man with gold rings and costly garments, and there should also enter a poor man in soiled clothing; 3And you should attend to the one who wears the beautiful clothing, and say to him, Sit here in a good place; and say to the poor man, Stand up there, or sit here before our footstool; 4Are you not then showing partiality, and thereby give preference to evil thoughts? 5Hear this, my beloved brethren, Has not God chosen the poor of the world who are rich in faith, to be heirs of the kingdom which God has promised to those who love him? 6But you have despised the poor. Do not rich men exalt themselves over you and drag you before the judgment seat? 7Do not they blaspheme against that good name by which you are called?

8If you fulfil the law of God by this, as it is written, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, you do well: 9But if you discriminate among men, you commit sin and you will be condemned by the law as transgressors of the law. 10For whoever shall keep the whole law, except that he fail in but one statute, he is guilty as to the whole law. 11For he who said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not kill. Now if you do not commit adultery, but you kill, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12So speak and so act, as men who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13For a judgment without mercy will be on him, who does not show mercy; for you exalt yourselves by having mercy over judgment.

14Though a man say he has faith, what profit is it, my brethren, if he does not have works? Can faith save him? 15If a brother or sister be naked, and lacking of daily food, 16And one of you say to them, Depart in peace, be warmed, and be filled; yet you do not give to them those things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17Even so faith, without works, is dead, by itself.

18For a man may say, You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19You believe that there is one God; you do well. The devils also believe, and they tremble. 20Would you know, O weak man, that faith without works is dead? 21Was not our father Abraham justified by works, when he raised Isaac his son upon the altar? 22You can see, how his faith helped his works, and how by works his faith was made perfect. 23And the scripture was fulfilled which said, Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24You see then, how a man by works becomes righteous, and not by faith only. 25Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot, justified by works, when she welcomed the spies, and sent them out another way? 26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.


Holy Bible From The Ancient Eastern Texts: Aramaic Of The Peshitta by George M. Lamsa (1933)

James 1
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