James 2:1–26

Favoritism Forbidden

2My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious^t Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.^{u 2}Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. ³If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” ⁴have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges^v with evil thoughts?

⁵Listen, my dear brothers and sisters:^w Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world^x to be rich in faith^y and to inherit the kingdom^z he promised those who love him?^{a 6}But you have dishonored the poor.^b Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?^{c 7}Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

⁸If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”^ad you are doing right. ⁹But if you show favoritism,^e you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.^{f 10}For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles^g at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.^{h 11}For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”^bi also said, “You shall not murder.”^cj If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

¹²Speak and act as those who are going to be judged^k by the law that gives freedom,^{l 13}because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.^m Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Deeds

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?ⁿ Can such faith save them? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.^{o 16}If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?^{p 17}In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.^q

¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds,^r and I will show you my faith^s by my deeds.^{t 19}You believe that there is one God.^u Good! Even the demons believe that^v—and shudder.

²⁰You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless^d?^{w 21}Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?^{x 22}You see that his faith and his actions were working together,^y and his faith was made complete by what he did.^{z 23}And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”^ea and he was called God’s friend.^{b 24}You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

²⁵In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?^{c 26}As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.^d