James 2

¹ My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with partiality.

² For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in,

³ and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing and say, “Sit here in a good place;” and you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool”

⁴ haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

⁵ Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him?

⁶ But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and personally drag you before the courts?

⁷ Don’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called? CCC

⁸ However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.

⁹ But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

¹⁰ For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. CCC

¹¹ For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. CCC

¹² So speak and so do as men who are to be judged by the law of freedom. CCC

¹³ For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him? CCC

¹⁵ And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, CCC

¹⁶ and one of you tells them, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled;” yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it? CCC

¹⁷ Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.

¹⁸ Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

¹⁹ You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe – and shudder.

²⁰ But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?

²¹ Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

²² You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected.

²³ So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. Fathers

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

²⁵ In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

²⁶ For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead. CCC

¹ MMy brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory, with respect of persons.

² For if there shall come into your assembly a man having a golden ring, in fine apparel; and there shall come in also a poor man in mean attire:

³ And you have respect to him that is clothed with the fine apparel and shall say to him: Sit thou here well: but say to the poor man: Stand thou there, or: Sit under my footstool:

⁴ Do you not judge within yourselves, and are become judges of unjust thoughts?

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

⁶ But you have dishonoured the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you by might? And do not they draw you before the judgment seats?

⁷ Do not they blaspheme the good name that is invoked upon you? CCC

⁸ If then you fulfil the royal law, according to the scriptures: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; you do well.

⁹ But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, being reproved by the law as transgressors.

¹⁰ And whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all. CCC

¹¹ For he that said: Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also: Thou shalt not kill. Now if thou do not commit adultery, but shalt kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. CCC

¹² So speak ye and so do, as being to be judged by the law of liberty. CCC

¹³ For judgment without mercy to him that hath not done mercy. And mercy exalteth itself above judgment.

¹⁴ What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him? CCC

¹⁵ And if a brother or sister be naked and want daily food: CCC

¹⁶ And one of you say to them: Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; yet give them not those things that are necessary for the body, what shall it profit? CCC

¹⁷ So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

¹⁸ But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works. Shew me thy faith without works; and I will shew thee, by works, my faith.

¹⁹ Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.

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

²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works, offering up Isaac his son upon the altar?

²² Seest thou that faith did cooperate with his works and by works faith was made perfect?

²³ And the scripture was fulfilled, saying: Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him to justice, and he was called the friend of God. Fathers

²⁴ Do you see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only?

²⁵ And in like manner also Rahab the harlot, was not she justified by works, receiving the messengers and sending them out another way?

²⁶ For even as the body without the spirit is dead: so also faith without works is dead. CCC