James 2:1–13

The Sin of Favoritism

2My brothers, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. ^j2For example, a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in. ³If you look with favor on the man wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or, “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” ⁴haven’t you discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

⁵Listen, my dear brothers: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world ^kto be rich in faith ^land heirs ^mof the kingdom that He has promised to those who love Him? ⁶Yet you dishonored that poor man. ⁿDon’t the rich oppress you and drag ^oyou into the courts? ⁷Don’t they blaspheme the noble name that was pronounced over you at your baptism? ^p

⁸Indeed, if you keep the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, ^qryou are doing well. ⁹But if you show favoritism, ^syou commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. ¹⁰For whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of breaking it all. ^t11For He who said, Do not commit adultery, ^ualso said, Do not murder. ^vwSo if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you are a lawbreaker.

¹²Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom. ^x13For judgment is without mercy to the one who hasn’t shown mercy. ^yMercy triumphs over judgment.