James 2

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

1My brothers and sisters, you trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is full of glory. So do not treat some people better than others.

2For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

2Say a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes. A poor man in old, worn-out clothes comes in too.

3And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

3You make a fuss over the man in fine clothes. You say, "Sit here in this good seat." But you tell the poor man, "You stand over there," or "Sit on the floor by my feet."

Note"Gay clothing" in the old English simply means bright, fancy clothes. It has nothing to do with what the word means today.

4Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

4Then you have picked one man over the other. You have judged people with bad thoughts in your hearts.

5Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

5Listen, my dear brothers and sisters. God chose people the world calls poor to be rich in faith. He promised his kingdom to those who love him.

6But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

6But you have treated poor people as if they do not matter. It is rich people who push you around. They are the ones who drag you into court.

7Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

7They are the ones who say bad things about the honored name you are called by.

8If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

8The Bible gives a king's law: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." If you really keep it, you are doing well.

9But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

9But if you treat some people better than others, you are sinning. The law shows you are a lawbreaker.

Note"Convinced of the law" means the law proves you guilty, like a judge saying, "Yes, you did it."

10For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

10A person may keep the whole law but slip up in one thing. Then he is guilty of breaking all of it.

11For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

11God said, "Do not be unfaithful to the person you are married to." He also said, "Do not murder." So if you keep the first rule but murder someone, you have broken the law.

12So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

12Speak and act like people who will be judged by the law that sets us free.

13For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

13Anyone who showed no kindness will be judged with no kindness. But kindness wins over judgment.

14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

14My brothers and sisters, what good is it if someone says he has faith but does nothing? Can that kind of faith save him?

15If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

15Say a brother or sister has no clothes and no food for the day.

16And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

16One of you says, "Go in peace. Stay warm and eat well." But you give them none of the things their body needs. What good is that?

17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

17Faith is the same way. If it does nothing, it is dead, all by itself.

18Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

18Someone may say, "You have faith, and I have deeds." Show me your faith without any deeds. I will show you my faith by what I do.

19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

19You believe there is one God. That is good. Even the demons believe that, and they shake with fear.

NoteThe old word here is "devils," but it means demons, evil spirits, not the devil himself.

20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

20You foolish man, do you want proof? Faith that does nothing is useless.

21Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

21Abraham is the father of our people. God counted him right because of what he did. He laid his son Isaac on the altar, the stone place where gifts were offered to God.

22Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

22You see that his faith and his actions worked together. What he did made his faith complete.

23And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

23So the Bible words came true: "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as right." And Abraham was called God's friend.

24Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

24So you see, a person is counted right with God by what he does, and not by faith alone.

25Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

25It was the same with Rahab, a woman who sold her body for money. God counted her right for what she did. She took in the men who came to look over the land, and she sent them home a different way.

NoteThe old word "harlot" means a prostitute, a woman who was paid to have sex with men.

26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

26A body with no breath in it is dead. Faith with no deeds is dead too.