¹ My brethren, hold not, in respect of persons, the faith of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,

² for if there may come into your synagogue a man with gold ring, in gay raiment, and there may come in also a poor man in vile raiment,

³ and ye may look upon him bearing the gay raiment, and may say to him, `Thou--sit thou here well,' and to the poor man may say, `Thou--stand thou there, or, Sit thou here under my footstool,' --

⁴ ye did not judge fully in yourselves, and did become ill-reasoning judges.

⁵ Hearken, my brethren beloved, did not God choose the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the reign that He promised to those loving Him?

⁶ and ye did dishonour the poor one; do not the rich oppress you and themselves draw you to judgment-seats;

⁷ do they not themselves speak evil of the good name that was called upon you?

⁸ If, indeed, royal law ye complete, according to the Writing, `Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,' --ye do well;

⁹ and if ye accept persons, sin ye do work, being convicted by the law as transgressors;

¹⁰ for whoever the whole law shall keep, and shall stumble in one point , he hath become guilty of all;

¹¹ for He who is saying, `Thou mayest not commit adultery,' said also, `Thou mayest do no murder;' and if thou shalt not commit adultery, and shalt commit murder, thou hast become a transgressor of law;

¹² so speak ye and so do, as about by a law of liberty to be judged,

¹³ for the judgment without kindness is to him not having done kindness, and exult doth kindness over judgment.

¹⁴ What is the profit, my brethren, if faith, any one may speak of having, and works he may not have? is that faith able to save him?

¹⁵ and if a brother or sister may be naked, and may be destitute of the daily food,

¹⁶ and any one of you may say to them, `Depart ye in peace, be warmed, and be filled,' and may not give to them the things needful for the body, what is the profit?

¹⁷ so also the faith, if it may not have works, is dead by itself.

¹⁸ But say may some one, Thou hast faith, and I have works, shew me thy faith out of thy works, and I will shew thee out of my works my faith:

¹⁹ thou--thou dost believe that God is one; thou dost well, and the demons believe, and they shudder!

²⁰ And dost thou wish to know, O vain man, that the faith apart from the works is dead?

²¹ Abraham our father--was not he declared righteous out of works, having brought up Isaac his son upon the altar?

²² dost thou see that the faith was working with his works, and out of the works the faith was perfected?

²³ and fulfilled was the Writing that is saying, `And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him--to righteousness;' and, `Friend of God' he was called.

²⁴ Ye see, then, that out of works is man declared righteous, and not out of faith only;

²⁵ and in like manner also Rahab the harlot--was she not out of works declared righteous, having received the messengers, and by another way having sent forth?

²⁶ for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also the faith apart from the works is dead.