Read-aloud uses AI-generated Orakel narrator voices when available. Voice names are Orakel styles, not provider names.
James Chapter 2 002:001 My brothers, don't hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality.
002:002 For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue{or, meeting}, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in; 002:003 and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing, and say, "Sit here in a good place;" and you tell the poor man, "Stand there," or "Sit by my footstool;" 002:004 haven't you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 002:005 Listen, my beloved brothers.
Didn't God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him? 002:006 But you have dishonored the poor man. Don't the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts? 002:007 Don't they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called? 002:008 However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself,"{Leviticus 19:18} you do well.
002:009 But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. 002:010 For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 002:011 For he who said, "Do not commit adultery,"{Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18} also said, "Do not commit murder."{Exodus 10:13; Deuteronomy 5:17} Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 002:012 So speak, and so do, as men who are to be judged by a law of freedom.
002:013 For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. 002:014 What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him? 002:015 And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, 002:016 and one of you tells them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled;" and yet you didn't give them the things the body needs, what good is it? 002:017 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.
002:018 Yes, a man will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith. 002:019 You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder. 002:020 But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead? 002:021 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
002:022 You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected; 002:023 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness;"{Genesis 15:16} and he was called the friend of God. 002:024 You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith. 002:025 In like manner wasn't Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?
002:026 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.