James 2

1 My brothers [fellow believers, brethren], as you hold out your faith [trust, confidence] in our glorious [full of honor, praise] Lord Jesus Christ [the Messiah, Savior], do not show favoritism [partiality, respect of persons, treating some as more important than others]. word study 2 Suppose a man [adult male, husband] comes into your meeting [synagogue, assembly] wearing a gold ring [gold-ringed, with a golden ring] and fine [shining, radiant] clothes, and a poor [needy, beggarly] man in shabby [filthy, vile] clothes also comes in [enters, gathers with you]. word study 3 If you lavish attention [show special regard, treat better] on the man in fine [gay, shining] clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor [a good place, a seat of respect],” but say to the poor [needy, impoverished] man, “You must stand [rise, take a standing position]” or “Sit [be seated, take a lower position] at my feet [under my footstool, in a place of humility],” word study 4 have you not [shown partiality] discriminated among yourselves [in your own minds, within your congregation] and become [ill-reasoning, unjust] judges [with evil motives, of evil thoughts] with [bad, wicked] evil thoughts? word study 5 Listen [hear and obey, give ear], my beloved [cherished, dearly loved] brothers: Has not God [the one true deity, Creator] chosen [selected, elected] the poor [those in need, humble] of this world [the earthly realm, human society] to be rich [abundant, wealthy] in faith [trust, confidence in God] and to inherit [receive as a gift, possess] the kingdom [God’s royal power, dominion] He promised [pledged, vowed] those who love [show esteem and goodwill towards, cherish] Him? word study 6 But you [addressing the believers directly] have dishonored [treated with disrespect, despised] the poor [those who are humble and needy]. Is it not [a strong negation] the rich [those who have an abundance of wealth and power] who oppress [exercise power over] you and drag [persuade or draw] you into court [a place of judgment or tribunal, a lawsuit]? word study 7 Are they not the ones who [speak evil of, insult] blaspheme [dishonor, show disrespect to] the noble [honorable, worthy] name [character, authority] by which [through which, because of which] you have been called [invoked, named]? word study 8 If [under this condition, as it may be] you really fulfill [carry out, complete, obey] the royal [kingly, sovereign] law [a set of rules or regulations] stated in Scripture [the holy writings], “Love [to show esteem and goodwill] your neighbor [someone close by, a fellow] as [in the same manner as] yourself [your own person],” you are doing [making or performing an action] well [in a good or righteous manner]. word study 9 But if [in the event that, when] you show favoritism [partiality, respect to persons], you [commit, do] sin [missing the mark, falling short of God’s standards] and are convicted [rebuked, shown to be wrong] by the law [God’s commandments, principles] as [in the same way as, like] transgressors [those who break or disobey the law]. word study 10 Whoever [any person, whosoever] keeps [observes, watches over] the whole [entire, complete] law [set of rules, regulations] but stumbles [sins, fails] at just [one single] one point [aspect, part] is guilty [liable, responsible] of breaking [failing, disobeying] all [every, entire] of it [the law, God’s commandments]. word study 11 For He [the Lawgiver, God] who said, “Do not commit adultery [be untrue in married life],” also said, “Do not murder [kill, take a life].” If you do not commit adultery [are faithful to your spouse], but do commit murder [take a life], you have become a lawbreaker [transgressor of the law, disobedient to God’s commands]. word study 12 Speak [and utter words, talk] and act [do, make, perform] as those who are going to be judged [evaluated, condemned] by the law [of God’s standards, regulations] that gives [brings, provides] freedom [liberty, release from sin]. word study 13 For judgment [divine verdict, decision from God] without mercy [showing no pity, being merciless] will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful [having no compassion, lacking kindness]. Mercy [showing pity, having compassion] triumphs [exults, rejoices] over judgment [divine decision, verdict]. word study 14 What good [profit, benefit] is it, my brothers [fellow believers, brethren], if someone claims [says, professes] to have faith [trust, confidence in God], but has no [lacks, is without] deeds [works, actions]? Can such [this kind of, mere] faith [trust, confidence] save [deliver, rescue] him? word study 15 Suppose [if it happens that] a brother [fellow believer, male sibling] or [or alternatively] sister [fellow believer, female sibling] is [exists in a state of being] without [lacking, destitute of] clothes [naked, without adequate clothing] and [also] daily [each day’s, daily provision of] food [nourishment, sustenance]. word study 16 If one of you tells him, “Go [depart, leave] in peace [harmony, prosperity]; stay [remain, be] warm [comfortable, nourished] and well fed [satisfied, filled],” but does not provide [give, supply] for his physical [bodily, material] needs [necessities, requirements], what good [benefit, profit] is that [the result, the outcome]? word study 17 So too [in this way, thus], faith [trust and confidence in God] by itself [alone, without any outward expression], if it does not result in [produce, lead to] action [works, deeds], is dead [lifeless, spiritually inactive, without vitality]. word study 18 But someone [a man, one] will say, “You have [possess, hold] faith [trust, confidence in God] and I have [possess, hold] deeds [works, actions].” Show me your faith [trust, confidence] without [apart from, separate from] deeds [works, actions], and I will show you my faith [trust, confidence] by [through, as a result of] my deeds [works, actions]. word study 19 You [as a believer, personally] believe [have faith, trust in] that God [the one true deity, Elohim] is one [unique, unified, having God’s nature]. Good for you [you do well, it is commendable]! Even the demons [evil spirits, unclean beings] believe [acknowledge, have faith in] that—and [also, in addition] shudder [tremble with fear, are frightened]. word study 20 O foolish [vain, empty] man, do you want [desire to know, wish to understand] evidence [proof, demonstration] that faith [trust, confidence in God] without [apart from, separate from] deeds [works, actions] is worthless [dead, barren, of no use]? word study 21 Was not our father [revered ancestor] Abraham [the Hebrew patriarch] justified [declared righteous, made right] by what he did [his works, obedience] when he offered [brought up, sacrificed] his son [child] Isaac [the son of promise] on the altar [the table of sacrifice]? word study 22 You see [perceive, understand] that his faith [trust, confidence in God] was working [cooperating, synergizing] with his actions [deeds, works], and his faith [trust, confidence in God] was perfected [completed, made whole] by what he did [his works, obedience]. word study 23 And the Scripture [holy Writings, the written Word] was fulfilled [completed, made full] that says, “Abraham [the father of faith] believed [trusted, had faith in] God [the one true deity], and it was credited [reckoned, imputed] to him as righteousness [right living, being in right relationship with God],” and he was called [named, known as] a friend [close companion, loved one] of God [the Almighty, Creator]. word study 24 As you can see [perceive, understand], a man [human being, person] is justified [declared righteous, made innocent] by his deeds [works, actions] and not by faith [trust, confidence in God] alone [only, merely]. word study 25 In the same way [similarly, in a like manner], was not even Rahab [a Canaanite woman, a prostitute] the prostitute [harlot, engaging in sexual sin] justified [declared righteous, shown to be innocent] by her actions [works, deeds] when she welcomed [received hospitably] the spies [messengers, angels] and sent them off on another [a different] route [road, path]? word study 26 As the body [physical person, flesh] without [apart from, separately] the spirit [breath, vital principle] is dead [lifeless, devoid of spiritual life], so faith [trust, confidence in God] without [apart from, lacking] deeds [works, righteous actions] is dead [useless, unproductive]. word study