James 2

¹MY brethren, Have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory in acception of persons.

²For if there shall enter into your assembly a man having a golden ring in goodly apparel, and there shall enter in a poor man in homely attire,

³and you have respect to him that is clothed with the goodly apparel, and shall say to him, Sit thou here well: but say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under my foot-stool:

⁴do you not judge with yourselves, and are become judges of unjust cogitations?

⁵Hear, my dearest brethren: hath not God chosen the poor in this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him?

⁶But you have dishonoured the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you by might: and themselves draw you to judgements?

⁷Do not they blaspheme the good name that is invocated upon you?

⁸If not-withstanding you fulfill the royal law according to the Scriptures, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, you do well:

⁹but if you accept persons, you work sin, reproved of the Law as transgressors.

¹⁰And whosoever shall keep the whole Law, but offendeth in one, is made guilty of all.

¹¹For he that said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not kill. And if thou do not commit adultery, but shall kill; thou art made a transgressor of the Law.

¹²So speak ye, and so do, as beginning to be judged by the law of liberty.

¹³For judgement without mercy to him that hath not done mercy. And mercy exalteth it-self above judgement.

¹⁴What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him?

¹⁵And if a brother or sister be naked, and lack daily food,

¹⁶and one of you say to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled; but you give them not the things that are necessary for the body; what shall it profit?

¹⁷So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in it-self.

¹⁸But some man saith, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without works; and I will shew thee by works my faith.

¹⁹Thou believest that there is one God. Thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble.

²⁰But wilt thou know, o vain man, that faith without works is idle?

²¹Abraham our father was he not justified by works, offering Isaac his son upon the altar?

²²Seest thou that faith did work with his works: and by the works the faith was consummate?

²³And the Scripture was fulfilled, saying, Abraham believed God, and it was reputed him to justice, and he was called the friend of God.

²⁴Do you see that by works a man is justified; & not by faith only?

²⁵And in like manner also Rahab the harlot, was not she justified by works, receiving the messengers, and putting them forth another way?

²⁶For even as the body without the spirit is dead: so also faith without works is dead.