James 2 Parallel Bible Translations

James 2 ▼
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1 My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
2 For 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. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in.
3 If 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, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”
4 doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen 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? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?
7 Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.
9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
11 For 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. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
13 There 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. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
14 What 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? What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?
15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.
16 and 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? and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?
17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 Now 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.” But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
19 You 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. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
21 Don’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? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
23 And 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. and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 Rahab 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. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
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