James 2

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW JERUSALEM
1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with respect of persons.	1 My brothers, do not let class distinction enter into your faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord.
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,	2 Now suppose a man comes into your synagogue, well-dressed and with a gold ring on, and at thesame time a poor man comes in, in shabby clothes,
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:	3 and you take notice of the wel -dressed man, and say, 'Come this way to the best seats'; then you tellthe poor man, 'Stand over there' or 'You can sit on the floor by my foot-rest.'
4 Do you not judge within yourselves, and are become judges of unjust thoughts?	4 In making this distinction among yourselves have you not used a corrupt standard?
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?	5 Listen, my dear brothers: it was those who were poor according to the world that God chose, to be richin faith and to be the heirs to the kingdom which he promised to those who 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?	6 You, on the other hand, have dishonoured the poor. Is it not the rich who lord it over you?
7 Do not they blaspheme the good name that is invoked upon you?	7 Are not they the ones who drag you into court, who insult the honourable name which has beenpronounced over you?
8 If then you fulfil the royal law, according to the scriptures, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; you do well.	8 Well, the right thing to do is to keep the supreme Law of scripture: you will love your neighbour asyourself;
9 But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, being reproved by the law as transgressors.	9 but as soon as you make class distinctions, you are committing sin and under condemnation forbreaking the Law.
10 And whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all.	10 You see, anyone who keeps the whole of the Law but trips up on a single point, is stil guilty ofbreaking it al .
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.	11 He who said, 'You must not commit adultery' said also, 'You must not kil .' Now if you commit murder,you need not commit adultery as wel to become a breaker of the Law.
12 So speak ye, and so do, as being to be judged by the law of liberty.	12 Talk and behave like people who are going to be judged by the law of freedom.
13 For judgment without mercy to him that hath not done mercy. And mercy exalteth itself above judgment.	13 Whoever acts without mercy wil be judged without mercy but mercy can afford to laugh at judgement.
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?	14 How does it help, my brothers, when someone who has never done a single good act claims to havefaith? Wil that faith bring salvation?
15 And if a brother or sister be naked, and want daily food:	15 If one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on,
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?	16 and one of you says to them, 'I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty,' without giving themthese bare necessities of life, then what good is that?
17 So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself.	17 In the same way faith, if good deeds do not go with it, is quite dead.
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.	18 But someone may say: So you have faith and I have good deeds? Show me this faith of yours withoutdeeds, then! It is by my deeds that I will show you my faith.
19 Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.	19 You believe in the one God -- that is creditable enough, but even the demons have the same belief,and they tremble with fear.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?	20 Fool! Would you not like to know that faith without deeds is useless?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, offering up Isaac his son upon the altar?	21 Was not Abraham our father justified by his deed, because he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22 Seest thou, that faith did co-operate with his works; and by works faith was made perfect?	22 So you can see that his faith was working together with his deeds; his faith became perfect by what hedid.
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.	23 In this way the scripture was fulfil ed: Abraham put his faith in God, and this was considered asmaking him upright; and he received the name 'friend of God'.
24 Do you see that by works a man is justified; and not by faith only?	24 You see now that it is by deeds, and not only by believing, that someone is justified.
25 And in like manner also Rahab the harlot, was not she justified by works, receiving the messengers, and sending them out another way?	25 There is another example of the same kind: Rahab the prostitute, was she not justified by her deedsbecause she welcomed the messengers and showed them a different way to leave?
26 For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also faith without works is dead.	26 As a body without a spirit is dead, so is faith without deeds.