James 2 Parallel Bible Translations

James 2 ▼
swipe to see more →
WEB
World English Bible
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
+Add
1 My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with partiality. 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 if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in, 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 and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing and say, “Sit here in a good place;” and you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool” 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 haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 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, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which 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 have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and personally drag you before the courts? 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 Don’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called? 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 However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well. 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 show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. 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 whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 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 he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of 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 speak and so do as men who are to be judged by the law of freedom. 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 For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. 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, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him? 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 And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, 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 one of you tells them, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled;” yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it? 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 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself. 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 Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 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 believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder. 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 But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead? 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 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son 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 that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected. 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 So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness,” and he was 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 You see then that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith. 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 In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 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 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead. 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.
Previous chapter
Top of Page
Top of Page