James 2 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Sin of Favoritism

1 My brothers ^G80, do not hold ^G2192 your faith ^G4102 in our [fn]glorious ^G1391 Lord ^G2962 Jesus ^G2424 Christ ^G5547 with an attitude of personal ^G4382 favoritism ^G4382.

2 For if ^G1437 a man ^G435 comes ^G1525 into your [fn]assembly ^G4864 with a gold ^G5554 ring ^G5554 and dressed in bright ^G2986 clothes ^G2066, and there also ^G2532 comes ^G1525 in ^G1525 a poor ^G4434 man ^G4434 in dirty ^G4508 clothes ^G2066, 3 and you [fn]pay ^G1914 special ^G1914 attention ^G1914 to the one who is wearing ^G5409 the bright ^G2986 clothes ^G2066, and say ^G3004, “You sit ^G2521 here ^G5602 in a good ^G2573 place,” and you say ^G3004 to the poor ^G4434 man ^G4434, “You stand ^G2476 over ^G1563 there ^G1563, or ^G2228 sit ^G2521 down ^G2521 by my footstool ^G5286,” 4 have you not made ^G1252 distinctions ^G1252 among ^G1722 yourselves ^G1438, and become ^G1096 judges ^G2923 with evil ^G4190 thoughts ^G1261? 5 Listen ^G191, my beloved ^G27 brothers ^G80: did not God ^G2316 choose ^G1586 the poor ^G4434 [fn]of this ^G3588 world ^G2889 to be rich ^G4145 in faith ^G4102 and heirs ^G2818 of the kingdom ^G932 which ^G3739 He promised ^G1861 to those ^G3588 who love ^G25 Him? 6 But you have dishonored ^G818 the poor ^G4434 man ^G4434. Is it not the rich ^G4145 who oppress ^G2616 you and they themselves ^G846 drag ^G1670 you into [fn]court ^G2922? 7 Do they not blaspheme ^G987 the good ^G2570 name ^G3686 [fn]by which you have been called ^G1941?

8 If ^G1487, however ^G3305, you are fulfilling ^G5055 the [fn]royal ^G937 law ^G3551 according ^G2596 to the Scripture ^G1124, “YOU SHALL LOVE ^G25 YOUR NEIGHBOR ^G4139 AS YOURSELF ^G4572,” you are doing ^G4160 well ^G2573. 9 But if ^G1487 you show ^G4380 partiality ^G4380, you are committing ^G2038 sin ^G266, being convicted ^G1651 by the [fn]law ^G3551 as transgressors ^G3848. 10 For whoever ^G3748 keeps ^G5083 the whole ^G3650 [fn]law ^G3551 and yet ^G1161 stumbles ^G4417 in one ^G1520 point, he has become ^G1096 guilty ^G1777 of all ^G3956. 11 For He who said ^G3004, “DO NOT COMMIT ^G3431 ADULTERY ^G3431,” also ^G2532 said ^G3004, “DO NOT MURDER ^G5407.” Now ^G1161 if ^G1487 you do not commit ^G3431 adultery ^G3431, but murder ^G5407, you have become ^G1096 a transgressor ^G3848 of the [fn]law ^G3551. 12 So ^G3779 speak ^G2980 and so ^G3779 act ^G4160 as those who are to be judged ^G2919 by the law ^G3551 of freedom ^G1657. 13 For judgment ^G2920 will be merciless ^G415 to one who has shown ^G4160 no ^G3361 mercy ^G1656. Mercy ^G1656 [fn]triumphs ^G2620 over ^G2620 judgment ^G2920.

Faith and Works

14 What ^G5101 use ^G3786 is it, my brothers ^G80, if ^G1437 someone ^G5100 says ^G3004 he has ^G2192 faith ^G4102 but he has ^G2192 no ^G3361 works ^G2041? Can ^G1410 [fn]that faith ^G4102 save ^G4982 him?

15 If ^G1437 a brother ^G80 or ^G2228 sister ^G79 is without ^G1131 clothing ^G1131 and in ^G3007 need ^G3007 of daily ^G2184 food ^G5160, 16 and one ^G5100 of you says ^G3004 to them, “Go ^G5217 in peace ^G1515, [fn]be warmed ^G2328 and be filled ^G5526,” and yet ^G1161 you do not give ^G1325 them what ^G3588 is necessary ^G2006 for their body ^G4983, what ^G5101 use ^G3786 is that? 17 Even ^G2532 so ^G3779 faith ^G4102, if ^G1437 it has ^G2192 no ^G3361 works ^G2041, is [fn]dead ^G3498 by itself ^G1438.

18 But someone ^G5100 will say ^G3004, “You have ^G2192 faith ^G4102; and I have ^G2192 works ^G2041. Show ^G1166 me your faith ^G4102 without ^G5565 the works ^G2041, and I will show ^G1166 you my faith ^G4102 by my works ^G2041.” 19 You believe ^G4100 that [fn]God ^G2316 is one ^G1520. You do ^G4160 well ^G2573; the demons ^G1140 also ^G2532 believe ^G4100, and shudder ^G5425. 20 But are you willing ^G2309 to recognize ^G1097, you foolish ^G2756 fellow ^G444, that faith ^G4102 without ^G5565 works ^G2041 is useless ^G692? 21 Was not Abraham ^G11 our father ^G3962 justified ^G1344 by works ^G2041 when he offered ^G399 up ^G399 Isaac ^G2464 his son ^G5207 on the altar ^G2379? 22 You see ^G991 that faith ^G4102 was working ^G4903 with ^G4903 his works ^G2041, and [fn]as a result ^G1537 of the works ^G2041, faith ^G4102 was [fn]perfected ^G5048. 23 And the Scripture ^G1124 was fulfilled ^G4137 which says ^G3004, “AND ABRAHAM ^G11 BELIEVED ^G4100 GOD ^G2316, AND IT WAS COUNTED ^G3049 TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS ^G1343,” and he was called ^G2564 the friend ^G5384 of God ^G2316. 24 You see ^G3708 that a man ^G444 is justified ^G1344 by works ^G2041 and not by faith ^G4102 alone ^G3441. 25 And in the same ^G3668 way ^G3668, was not Rahab ^G4460 the harlot ^G4204 also ^G2532 justified ^G1344 by works ^G2041 when she received ^G5264 the messengers ^G32 and sent ^G1544 them out ^G1544 by another ^G2087 way ^G3668? 26 For just ^G5618 as the body ^G4983 without ^G5565 the spirit ^G4151 is dead ^G3498, so ^G3779 also ^G2532 faith ^G4102 without ^G5565 works ^G2041 is dead ^G3498.