6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
7 Do they not blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? [1]
8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou committest no adultery, yet if thou killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law. [2]
12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shown no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. [3]
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man saith he hath faith, and hath not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you saith to them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; but ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. [4]
18 But, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. [5]
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? [6]
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. [7]
CHAP. 3.
My brethren, be not many teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater judgment. [8]
2 For in many things we all offend. If any man stumble not in word, the same is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they are |strong="G5607" \w* so great, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they are turned about with a very small helm, wherever the pilot willeth.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! [9]
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire from hell. [10]
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of creatures in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind: [11] [12]
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With it we bless God, even the Father; and with it we curse men, who are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? [13]
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? or a vine, figs? so no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show by a good behaviour his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. [14]
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. [15]
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. [16]
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by them that make peace.
CHAP. 4.
From where come wars and fightings among you? come they not from this, even from your lusts that war in your members? [17] [18]
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and
- ↑ blaspheme: or, revile, or, slander
- ↑ he that: or, that law which
- ↑ rejoiceth: or, glorieth
- ↑ alone: Gr. by itself
- ↑ without: some copies read, by
- ↑ Seest...: or, Thou seest
- ↑ spirit: or, breath
- ↑ condemnation: or, judgment
- ↑ a matter: or, wood
- ↑ course: Gr. wheel
- ↑ kind: Gr. nature
- ↑ mankind: Gr. nature of man
- ↑ place: or, hole
- ↑ sensual: or, natural
- ↑ confusion: Gr. tumult, or, unquietness
- ↑ partiality: or, wrangling
- ↑ fightings: or, brawlings
- ↑ lusts: or, pleasures
