James 2

Noyes^{(i) 1} My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord of glory, Jesus Christ, with respect of persons. ² For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring, in splendid apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment, ³ and ye have respect to him that weareth the splendid apparel, and say, Sit thou here in a good place, and say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or, Sit under my footstool, ⁴ have ye not been partial among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? ⁵ Hearken, my beloved brethren. Did not God choose the poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him? ⁶ but ye have despised the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and do not they drag you before the judgmentseats? ⁷ Do not they blaspheme the worthy name by which ye are called? ⁸ If indeed ye fulfill the royal law, according to the scripture, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," ye do well. ⁹ But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. ¹⁰ For whoever hath kept the whole law, and yet hath offended in one point, hath become guilty of all. ¹¹ For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," said also, "Do not kill." Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou hast become a transgressor of the law. ¹² So speak, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. ¹³ For the judgment shall be without mercy to him that showed no mercy. Mercy glorieth against judgment. ¹⁴ What doth it profit, my brethren, if any one say that he hath faith, and have not works? Can his faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you say to them, Depart in peace, be warmed and be filled, notwithstanding ye give them not the things needful for the body, what doth it profit? ¹⁷ So also faith, if it hath not works, is dead in itself. ¹⁸ But some one will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; show me thy faith without works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. ¹⁹ Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well; the demons also believe, and tremble. ²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is idle? ²¹ Was not Abraham our father accepted as righteous through works, when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar? ²² Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect. ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness;" and he was called the friend of God. ²⁴ Ye see that by works a man is accounted as righteous, and not by faith only. ²⁵ And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot accounted as righteous through works, when she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? ²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.