2:1 My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, (the Lord) of glory, with respect of persons.
2:1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with [an attitude of] personal favoritism.

2:2 For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing;
2:2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,

2:3 and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool;
2:3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine 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,"

2:4 Do ye not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
2:4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world (to be) rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?
2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world [to be] rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

2:6 But ye have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats?
2:6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

2:7 Do not they blaspheme the honorable name by which ye are called?
2:7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?

2:8 Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well:
2:8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law, according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well.

2:9 but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
2:9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin [and] are convicted by the law as transgressors.

2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one (point), he is become guilty of all.
2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one [point,] he has become guilty of all.

2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
2:11 For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty.
2:12 So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by [the] law of liberty.

2:13 For judgment (is) without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment.
2:13 For judgment [will be] merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him?
2:14 What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

2:15 If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food,
2:15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,

2:16 and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit?
2:16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for [their] body, what use is that?

2:17 Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.
2:17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, [being] by itself.

2:18 Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from (thy) works, and I by my works will show thee (my) faith.
2:18 But someone may [well] say, "You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

2:19 Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder.
2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren?
2:20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar?
2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

2:22 Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect;
2:22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;

2:23 and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God.
2:23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.

2:24 Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.
2:24 You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.

2:25 And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?
2:25 And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

2:26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
2:26 For just as the body without [the] spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.