• 1. My brethren, hold not, in respect of persons, the faith of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,
  • 2. for if there may come into your synagogue a man with gold ring, in gay raiment, and there may come in also a poor man in vile raiment,
  • 3. and ye may look upon him bearing the gay raiment, and may say to him, `Thou -- sit thou here well,' and to the poor man may say, `Thou -- stand thou there, or, Sit thou here under my footstool,' --
  • 4. ye did not judge fully in yourselves, and did become ill-reasoning judges.
  • 5. Hearken, my brethren beloved, did not God choose the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the reign that He promised to those loving Him?
  • 6. and ye did dishonour the poor one; do not the rich oppress you and themselves draw you to judgment-seats;
  • 7. do they not themselves speak evil of the good name that was called upon you?
  • 8. If, indeed, royal law ye complete, according to the Writing, `Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,' -- ye do well;
  • 9. and if ye accept persons, sin ye do work, being convicted by the law as transgressors;
  • 10. for whoever the whole law shall keep, and shall stumble in one `point', he hath become guilty of all;
  • 11. for He who is saying, `Thou mayest not commit adultery,' said also, `Thou mayest do no murder;' and if thou shalt not commit adultery, and shalt commit murder, thou hast become a transgressor of law;
  • 12. so speak ye and so do, as about by a law of liberty to be judged,
  • 13. for the judgment without kindness `is' to him not having done kindness, and exult doth kindness over judgment.
  • 14. What `is' the profit, my brethren, if faith, any one may speak of having, and works he may not have? is that faith able to save him?
  • 15. and if a brother or sister may be naked, and may be destitute of the daily food,
  • 16. and any one of you may say to them, `Depart ye in peace, be warmed, and be filled,' and may not give to them the things needful for the body, what `is' the profit?
  • 17. so also the faith, if it may not have works, is dead by itself.
  • 18. But say may some one, Thou hast faith, and I have works, shew me thy faith out of thy works, and I will shew thee out of my works my faith:
  • 19. thou -- thou dost believe that God is one; thou dost well, and the demons believe, and they shudder!
  • 20. And dost thou wish to know, O vain man, that the faith apart from the works is dead?
  • 21. Abraham our father -- was not he declared righteous out of works, having brought up Isaac his son upon the altar?
  • 22. dost thou see that the faith was working with his works, and out of the works the faith was perfected?
  • 23. and fulfilled was the Writing that is saying, `And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness;' and, `Friend of God' he was called.
  • 24. Ye see, then, that out of works is man declared righteous, and not out of faith only;
  • 25. and in like manner also Rahab the harlot -- was she not out of works declared righteous, having received the messengers, and by another way having sent forth?
  • 26. for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also the faith apart from the works is dead.