Warning against Prejudice
1 My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance. 2 Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes. 3 If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, “Have this best seat here,” but say to the poor man, “Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet,” 4 then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives.
5 Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him. 6 But you dishonor the poor! Who are the ones who oppress you and drag you before the judges? The rich! 7 They are the ones who speak evil of that good name which has been given to you.
8 You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 9 But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker. 10 Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all. 11 For the same one who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Even if you do not commit adultery, you have become a lawbreaker if you commit murder. 12 Speak and act as people who will be judged by the law that sets us free. 13 For God will not show mercy when he judges the person who has not been merciful; but mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith and Actions
14 My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you? 15 Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat. 16 What good is there in your saying to them, “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!”—if you don't give them the necessities of life? 17 So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.
18 But someone will say, “One person has faith, another has actions.” My answer is, “Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions.” 19 Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe—and tremble with fear. 20 You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless? 21 How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar. 22 Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions. 23 And the scripture came true that said, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” And so Abraham was called God's friend. 24 You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone.
25 It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road.
26 So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead.
1 My brethren, haue not the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons. 2 For if there come into your company a man with a golde ring, and in goodly apparell, and there come in also a poore man in vile raiment, 3 And ye haue a respect to him that weareth the gaie clothing; and say vnto him, Sit thou here in a goodly place, and say vnto the poore, Stand thou there, or sit here vnder my footestoole, 4 Are yee not partiall in your selues, and are become iudges of euill thoughts? 5 Hearken my beloued brethren, hath not God chosen the poore of this worlde, that they should be rich in faith, and heires of the kingdome which he promised to them that loue him? 6 But ye haue despised the poore. Doe not the riche oppresse you by tyrannie, and doe not they drawe you before the iudgement seates? 7 Doe nor they blaspheme the worthie Name after which yee be named? 8 But if yee fulfill the royall Lawe according to the Scripture, which saith, Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe, yee doe well. 9 But if yee regarde the persons, yee commit sinne, and are rebuked of the Lawe, as transgressours. 10 For whosoeuer shall keepe the whole Lawe, and yet faileth in one poynt, hee is guiltie of all. 11 For he that saide, Thou shalt not commit adulterie, saide also, Thou shalt not kill. Nowe though thou doest none adulterie, yet if thou killest, thou art a transgressour of the Lawe. 12 So speake ye, and so doe, as they that shall be iudged by the Lawe of libertie. 13 For there shalbe condemnation merciles to him that sheweth not mercie, and mercie reioyceth against condemnation. 14 What auaileth it, my brethren, though a man saith he hath faith, when he hath no workes? can that faith saue him? 15 For if a brother or a sister bee naked and destitute of daily foode, 16 And one of you say vnto them, Depart in peace: warme your selues, and fil your bellies, notwithstading ye giue them not those things which are needefull to the body, what helpeth it? 17 Euen so the faith, if it haue no woorkes, is dead in it selfe. 18 But some man might say, Thou hast the faith, and I haue woorkes: shewe me thy faith out of thy woorkes, and I will shewe thee my faith by my woorkes. 19 Thou beleeuest that there is one God: thou doest well: the deuils also beleeue it, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou vnderstand, O thou vaine man, that the faith which is without workes, is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father iustified through workes, when he offred Isaac his sonne vpon the altar? 22 Seest thou not that the faith wrought with his workes? and through the workes was the faith made perfect. 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which sayeth, Abraham beleeued God, and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse: and hee was called the friende of God. 24 Ye see then howe that of workes a man is iustified, and not of faith onely. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot iustified through workes, when she had receiued ye messengers, and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without ye spirit is dead, euen so the faith without workes is dead.