James 2 NLT ISV Parallel

◄ James 2 ►

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1My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?

1My brothers, do not let your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be tainted by favoritism.

2For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes.

2Suppose a man wearing gold rings and fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in.

3If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well,

3If you give special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Please take this seat," but you say to the poor man, "Stand over there" or "Sit on the floor at my feet,"

4doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

4then you will have made false distinctions among yourselves and will have judged from evil motives, will you not?

5Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?

5Listen, my dear brothers! God has chosen the poor in the world to become rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who keep on loving him, has he not?

6But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?

6But you have humiliated the man who is poor. Are not rich people the ones who oppress you and drag you into court?

7Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?

7Are not they the ones who blaspheme the noble Name by which you have been called?

8Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

8Nevertheless, you are doing the right thing if you obey the royal Law in keeping with the Scripture, "You must love your neighbor as yourself."

9But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

9But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and will be convicted by the Law as violators.

10For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.

10For whoever keeps the whole Law but fails in one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

11For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.

11For the one who said, "Never commit adultery," also said, "Never murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you become a violator of the Law.

12So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.

12You must make it your habit to speak and act like people who are going to be judged by the law of liberty.

13There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead

13For the one who has shown no mercy will be judged without mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

14What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?

14What good does it do, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith but does not prove it with actions? This kind of faith cannot save him, can it?

15Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing,

15Suppose a brother or sister does not have any clothes or daily food

16and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

16and one of you tells them, "Go in peace! Stay warm and eat heartily." If you do not provide for their bodily needs, what good does it do?

17So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

17In the same way, faith by itself, if it does not prove itself with actions, is dead.

18Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

18But someone may say, "You have faith, and I have actions." Show me your faith without any actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions.

19You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.

19You believe that there is one God. That's fine! Even the demons believe that and tremble with fear.

20How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

20Do you want proof, you foolish person, that faith without actions is worthless?

21Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

21Our ancestor Abraham was justified by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar, wasn't he?

22You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.

22You see that his faith worked together with what he did, and by his actions his faith was made complete.

23And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.

23And so the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." And so he was called God's friend.

24So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

24You observe that a person is justified through actions and not through faith alone.

25Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.

25Likewise, Rahab the prostitute was justified through actions when she welcomed the messengers and sent them away on a different road, wasn't she?

26Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

26For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without actions is also dead.

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