English Standard Version ESV
King James Version KJV
1 My brothers,show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
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My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,
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For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place,"while you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit down at my feet,"
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And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
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Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
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Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?
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But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
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Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.
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If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
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But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.
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For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
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For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.
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So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
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For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
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What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
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If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
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And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
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Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
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Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder!
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Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
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But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
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Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;
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Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"--and he was called a friend of God.
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And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
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Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
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Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
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For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
The King James Version is in the public domain.