James 2:14–3:18

Faith Without Works Is Dead

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith ^obut does not have works? Can that faith save him? ^15pIf a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, ^16qand one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good² is that? ¹⁷So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith ^rapart from your works, and I will show you my faith ^sby my works. ^19tYou believe that God is one; you do well. Even ^uthe demons believe—and shudder! ²⁰Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? ^21vWas not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? ²²You see that ^wfaith was active along with his works, and faith was completed ^xby his works; ²³and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ^y“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a ^zfriend of God. ²⁴You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵And in the same way was not also ^aRahab the prostitute justified by works ^bwhen she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? ²⁶For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Taming the Tongue

3^cNot many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. ²For ^dwe all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, ^ehe is a perfect man, ^fable also to bridle his whole body. ³If we put ^gbits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. ⁴Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵So also the tongue is a small member, yet ^hit boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ⁶And ⁱthe tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, ^jstaining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,¹ and set on fire by hell.^{2 7}For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, ⁸but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, ^kfull of deadly poison. ⁹With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people ^lwho are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,³ these things ought not to be so. ¹¹Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? ¹²Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Wisdom from Above

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? ^mBy his good conduct let him show his works ⁿin the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have bitter ^ojealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵This is not ^pthe wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, ^qdemonic. ¹⁶For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ¹⁷But ^rthe wisdom from above is first pure, then ^speaceable, gentle, open to reason, ^tfull of mercy and good fruits, ^uimpartial and ^vsincere. ¹⁸And ^wa harvest of righteousness ^xis sown in peace by those who make peace.