James 2

Thomson^{(i) 1} Do not, my brethren, exercise this belief of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ in partial regards for persons. ² For if there should come into your assembly a man in splendid dress, having his fingers adorned with gold rings; and there should come in also a poor man in mean apparel; ³ and you should pay respect to the man in the splendid dress, and say to him, sit thou here in an honourable place; and say to the poor man, stand thou there; or, sit here below my footstool: ⁴ have you not actually made distinctions among yourselves, and become ill principled judges? ⁵ Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he hath promised to them who love him? ⁶ But you have treated the poor with disdain. Do not the rich domineer over you? Do they not drag you to tribunals? ⁷ Do they not revile that honourable name by which you are called? ⁸ If you fulfil a law which, according to the scripture, is indeed a royal one, namely, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," you do well: ⁹ but if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are by that law convicted as transgressors. ¹⁰ For whosoever is to keep the whole law and shall fail in one point, is guilty of all. ¹¹ For it having said, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," hath also said, "Thou shalt not murder" Now, if thou shall not commit adultery, but shalt commit murder, thou art become a transgressor of law. ¹² Thus speak and act thus, as you are to be judged by a law of liberty; ¹³ for the sentence of judgment shall be without mercy for him who hath not exercised mercy, though mercy glorieth over a sentence of judgment. ¹⁴ What is the advantage, my brethren, though one should say he hath belief, when he hath not works? Can that belief save him? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister be naked, or in want of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you should say to them, go in peace: be warmed, and be fed to the full; and you do not give them the things necessary for the body, is this any advantage? ¹⁷ Just so it is in respect to this belief, if it hath not works; being by itself it is dead. ¹⁸ One indeed may say, thou hast belief, and I have works. Shew me thy belief by thy works. As for me, I will shew thee my belief by my works. ¹⁹ Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well. The demons also believe and tremble. ²⁰ But wouldst thou, vain man, know that belief without works is dead? ²¹ Was not Abraham, our father, justified by works when he offered up his son Isaak on the altar? ²² Thou seest that his belief co-operated with his works, and by his works his belief was perfected. 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 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by belief only. ²⁵ In like manner also, was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, having secreted the messengers, and sent them out another way? ²⁶ For as the body without spirit is dead, so belief without works is dead also.