James 2

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	NEW JERUSALEM
1 My brothers, within the glorious faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, do not choose to show favoritism toward persons.	1 My brothers, do not let class distinction enter into your faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord.
2 For if a man has entered your assembly having a gold ring and splendid apparel, and if a poor man has also entered, in dirty clothing,	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 if you are then attentive to the one who is clothed in excellent apparel, so that you say to him, “You may sit in this good place,” but you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit below 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 are you not judging within yourselves, and have you not become judges with unjust thoughts?	4 In making this distinction among yourselves have you not used a corrupt standard?
5 My most beloved brothers, listen. Has not God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that God has promised to those who 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 dishonored the poor. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you through power? And are not they the ones who drag you to judgment?	6 You, on the other hand, have dishonoured the poor. Is it not the rich who lord it over you?
7 Are not they the ones who blaspheme the good name which has been invoked over you?	7 Are not they the ones who drag you into court, who insult the honourable name which has beenpronounced over you?
8 So if you perfect the regal law, according to the Scriptures, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” then 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 show favoritism to persons, then you commit a sin, having been convicted again 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 Now whoever has observed the whole law, yet who offends in one matter, has 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 who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not kill.” So if you do not commit adultery, but you kill, you have 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 and act just as you are beginning 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 is without mercy toward him who has not shown mercy. But mercy exalts itself above judgment.	13 Whoever acts without mercy wil be judged without mercy but mercy can afford to laugh at judgement.
14 My brothers, what benefit is there if someone claims to have faith, but he does not have works? How would 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 So if a brother or sister is naked and daily in need of 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 if anyone of you were to say to them: “Go in peace, keep warm and nourished,” and yet not give them the things that are necessary for the body, of what benefit is this?	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 Thus even faith, if it does not have works, is dead, in and of itself.	17 In the same way faith, if good deeds do not go with it, is quite dead.
18 Now someone may say: “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works! But I will show you my faith by means of works.	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 You believe that there is one God. You do well. But the demons also believe, and they tremble greatly.	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 So then, are you willing to understand, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?	20 Fool! Would you not like to know that faith without deeds is useless?
21 Was not our father Abraham justified by means of works, by offering his son Isaac upon the altar?	21 Was not Abraham our father justified by his deed, because he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22 Do you see that faith was cooperating with his works, and that by means of works faith was brought to fulfillment?	22 So you can see that his faith was working together with his deeds; his faith became perfect by what hedid.
23 And so the Scripture was fulfilled which says: “Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.” And so 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 a man is justified by means of works, and not by faith alone?	24 You see now that it is by deeds, and not only by believing, that someone is justified.
25 Similarly also, Rahab, the harlot, was she not justified by works, by receiving the messengers and sending them out through 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 just 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.