English Standard Version ESV
New Revised Standard NRS
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 brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ?
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 a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in,
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 if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Have a seat here, please," while to the one who is poor you say, "Stand there," or, "Sit at my feet,"
4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
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have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with 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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Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who 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 you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court?
7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
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Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?
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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You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
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But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by 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 whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.
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 the one who said, "You shall not commit adultery," also said, "You shall not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have 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 and so act as those who are to 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 judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over 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 good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you?
15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
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If a brother or sister is naked and lacks 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 says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?
17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
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So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
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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But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
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You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder.
20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
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Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren?
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 our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;
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You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works.
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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Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as 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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You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
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, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road?
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
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For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.