[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.
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Source: unbound.biola.edu
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