¹⁴What is the benefit, my brothers, if someone says that he has faith but does not have works? That faith is not able to save him, is it?^* ¹⁵If a brother or a sister is poorly clothed and lacking food for the day, ¹⁶and one of you should say to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well^h,” but does not give them what is necessary for the body, what is the benefit? ¹⁷Thus also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.

¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.”ⁱ Show me your faith apart from your^* works, and I will show you my^* faith by my works. ¹⁹You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe, and shudder! ²⁰But do you want to know, O foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? ²¹Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he^* offered up his son Isaac on the altar? ²²You see that faith was working together with his works, and by the works the faith was perfected. ²³And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness,”^j and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵And likewise was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she^* welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route? ²⁶For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Restraining the Tongue

3Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you^* know that we will receive a greater judgment.^a ²For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual,^b able to hold in check his whole body also. ³And if we put bits in the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we also guide their whole bodies. ⁴Behold also ships: although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot wishes. ⁵So also the tongue is a small member of the body^* and boasts great things. Behold how small a fire sets ablaze how great a forest! ⁶And the tongue is a fire! The world of unrighteousness,^c the tongue, is set among our members, defiling the whole body and setting on fire the course of human existence^d, being set on fire by hell.

⁷For every species of animals and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures, is being tamed and has been tamed by the human species, ⁸but no human being is able to tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹With it we bless the^* Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so! ¹¹A spring does not pour forth from the same opening fresh and bitter water, does it?^* ¹²A fig tree is not able, my brothers, to produce olives, or a grapevine figs. Neither can a saltwater spring produce fresh water.

The Wisdom That Comes Down from Above

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his^* good behavior his works, with the humility of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. ¹⁵This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶For where there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. ¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, nonjudgmental, without hypocrisy, ¹⁸And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace among^e those who make peace.

Read in Logos

James 2:22: You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works…

Footnotes

*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here
hLiterally, “be satisfied”
iSome see the quotation by “someone” extending to the end of v. 18, while others see it extending through v. 19
*Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
*Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“offered up”) which is understood as temporal
jA quotation from Gen 15:6
*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“welcomed”) which is understood as temporal
*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal
aOr “greater condemnation”
bLiterally “man,” but clearly in a generic sense here meaning “someone, a person”
*The words “of the body” are not in the Greek text but are supplied for clarity
cOr “a fire, the world of unrighteousness! The tongue is set among our members”
dLiterally “the wheel of origin”
*Or possibly “our,” if the Greek article is understood as a possessive pronoun
*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here
*Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
eOr “for”; or possibly “by”