James 1:19-2:17

New American Standard Bible

^19 [a](A)You know this, ^(B)my beloved brothers and sisters. Now everyone must be quick to hear, ^(C)slow to speak, and ^(D)slow to anger; ²⁰ for a man’s ^(E)anger does not bring about the righteousness of God. ²¹ Therefore, ^(F)ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all ^[b]that remains of wickedness, in ^[c]humility receive ^(G)the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. ^22 (H)But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his ^[d]natural face ^(I)in a mirror; ²⁴ for once he has looked at himself and gone away, ^[e]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. ²⁵ But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, ^(J)the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but ^[f]an active doer, this person will be ^(K)blessed in ^[g]what he does.

²⁶ If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not ^[h](L)bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless. ²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion ^(M)in the sight of our God and Father is this: to ^(N)visit ^(O)orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained ^[i]by ^(P)the world.

The Sin of Partiality

2 ^(Q)My brothers and sisters, ^(R)do not hold your faith in our ^(S)glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of ^(T)personal favoritism. ² For if a man comes into your ^[j]assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in ^(U)bright clothes, and a poor man in ^(V)dirty clothes also comes in, ³ and you ^[k]pay special attention to the one who is wearing the ^(W)bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” ⁴ have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges ^(X)with evil ^[l]motives? ⁵ Listen, ^(Y)my beloved brothers and sisters: did ^(Z)God not choose the poor ^[m]of this world to be ^(AA)rich in faith and ^(AB)heirs of the kingdom which He ^(AC)promised to those who love Him? ⁶ But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and ^[n]personally ^(AD)drag you into ^[o]court? ^7 (AE)Do they not blaspheme the good name ^[p]by which you have been called?

⁸ If, however, you ^(AF)are fulfilling the ^[q]royal law according to the Scripture, “^(AG)You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. ⁹ But if you ^(AH)show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as violators. ¹⁰ For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet ^(AI)stumbles in one point, has become ^(AJ)guilty of all. ¹¹ For He who said, “^(AK)Do not commit adultery,” also said, “^(AL)Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do murder, you have become a violator of the Law. ¹² So speak, and so act, as those who are to be judged by ^(AM)the law of freedom. ¹³ For ^(AN)judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy ^[r]triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Works

^14 (AO)What use is it, ^(AP)my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can ^[s]that faith save him? ^15 (AQ)If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “^(AR)Go in peace, ^[t]be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? ¹⁷ In the same way, ^(AS)faith also, if it has no works, is ^[u]dead, being by itself.