1My brethren , hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ , the Lord of glory , with respect of persons . 2For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring , in fine clothing , and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing ; 3and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing , and say , Sit thou here in a good place ; and ye say to the poor man , Stand thou there , or sit under my footstool ; 4do ye not make distinctions among yourselves , and become judges with evil thoughts ? 5Hearken , my beloved brethren ; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith , and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him ? 6But ye have dishonored the poor man . Do not the rich oppress you , and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats? 7Do not they blaspheme the honorable name by which ye are called ? 8Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law , according to the scripture , Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself , ye do well : 9but if ye have respect of persons , ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors . 10For whosoever shall keep the whole law , and yet stumble in one point , he is become guilty of all . 11For he that said , Do not commit adultery , said also , Do not kill . Now if thou dost not commit adultery , but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law . 12So speak ye , and so do , as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty . 13For judgment is without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy : mercy glorieth against judgment .
Faith and Works
14What doth it profit , my brethren , if a man say he hath faith , but have not works ? can that faith save him ? 15If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food , 16and one of you say unto them , Go in peace , be ye warmed and filled ; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body ; what doth it profit ? 17Even so faith , if it have not works , is dead in itself . 18Yea, a man will say , Thou hast faith , and I have works : show me thy faith apart from thy works , and I by my works will show thee my faith . 19Thou believest that God is one ; thou doest well : the demons also believe , and shudder . 20But wilt thou know , O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works , in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar ? 22Thou seest that faith wrought with his works , and by works was faith made perfect ; 23and the scripture was fulfilled which saith , And Abraham believed God , and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness ; and he was called the friend of God . 24Ye see that by works a man is justified , and not only by faith . 25And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works , in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way ? 26For as the body apart from the spirit is dead , even so faith apart from works is dead .