New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ?
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My brothers, if you have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory, do not take a man's position into account.
2 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,
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For if a man comes into your Synagogue in fair clothing and with a gold ring, and a poor man comes in with dirty clothing,
3 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,"
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And you do honour to the man in fair clothing and say, Come here and take this good place; and you say to the poor man, Take up your position there, or be seated at my feet;
4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
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Is there not a division in your minds? have you not become judges with evil thoughts?
5 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?
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Give ear, my dear brothers; are not those who are poor in the things of this world marked out by God to have faith as their wealth, and for their heritage the kingdom which he has said he will give to those who have love for him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court?
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But you have put the poor man to shame. Are not the men of wealth rulers over you? do they not take you by force before their judges?
7 Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?
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Do they not say evil of the holy name which was given to you?
8 You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
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But if you keep the greatest law of all, as it is given in the holy Writings, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself, you do well:
9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
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But if you take a man's position into account, you do evil, and are judged as evil-doers by the law.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.
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For anyone who keeps all the law, but makes a slip in one point, is judged to have gone against it all.
11 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.
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For he who said, Do not be untrue in married life, is the same who said, Put no man to death. Now if you are not untrue in married life, but you put a man to death, the law is broken.
12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
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Let your words and your acts be those of men who are to be judged by the law which makes free.
13 For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
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For the man who has had no mercy will be judged without mercy, but mercy takes pride in overcoming judging.
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you?
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What use is it, my brothers, for a man to say that he has faith, if he does nothing? will such a faith give him salvation?
15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food,
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If a brother or a sister is without clothing and in need of the day's food,
16 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?
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And one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warm and full of food; but you do not give them the things of which their bodies have need, what profit is there in this?
17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
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Even so faith without 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 by my works will show you my faith.
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But a man may say, You have faith and I have works; let me see your faith without your works, and I will make my faith clear to you by my works.
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder.
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You have the belief that God is one, and you do well: the evil spirits have the same belief, shaking with fear.
20 Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren?
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Do you not see, O foolish man, that faith without works is of no use?
21 Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
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Was not the righteousness of Abraham our father judged by his works, when he made an offering of Isaac his son on the altar?
22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works.
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You see that his faith was helping his works and was made complete by them;
23 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.
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And the holy Writings were put into effect which said, And Abraham had faith in God and it was put to his account as righteousness; and he was named 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 man's righteousness is judged by his works and not by his faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road?
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And in the same way, was not the righteousness of Rahab, the loose woman, judged by her works, when she took into her house those who were sent and let them go out by another way?
26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.
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For as the body without the spirit is dead even so faith without works is dead.
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.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.