1My brothers and sisters, you have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. So do not treat some people as better than others.
2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes. And suppose a poor man comes in too, in dirty, worn-out clothes.
3You pay attention to the man in the fine clothes and say to him, "Sit here in this good seat." But you say to the poor man, "Stand over there," or, "Sit here by my footstool."
4If you do that, are you not making differences among yourselves? Have you not become judges with evil thoughts?
5Listen, my dear brothers and sisters. Has God not chosen those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith? Has he not chosen them to receive the kingdom he promised to those who love him?
6But you have shamed the poor man. Is it not the rich who crush you, and drag you into the courts?
7Is it not they who speak against the honoured name by which you are called?
8If you truly keep the royal law found in the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself," you do well.
9But if you treat some people as better than others, you commit sin, and the law shows you to be law-breakers.
10For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet fails in one point, is guilty of all of it.
11For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do kill, you have become a breaker of the law.
12So speak and act as people who will be judged by the law of liberty.
13For anyone who has shown no mercy will be judged without mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
14My brothers and sisters, what good is it if someone says he has faith, but has no works? Can such faith save him?
15Suppose a brother or sister has no clothes and no food for the day.
16And one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm and eat well," but you do not give them the things their body needs. What good is that?
17In the same way faith, if it has no works, is dead, all by itself.
18Yes, someone may say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19You believe that there is one God. You do well. The demons believe that too, and they tremble.
20But will you learn, foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
22Do you see how his faith worked together with his works? By works his faith was made complete.
23And the Scripture came true which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." And he was called the Friend of God.
24So you see that a person is made righteous by works, and not by faith only.
25In the same way, was not Rahab the prostitute made righteous by works, when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way?
26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.