Chapter 2

  My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons.  

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  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;  

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  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;  

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  Do ye not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?  

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  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?  

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  But ye have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats?  

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  Do not they blaspheme the honorable name by which ye are called?  

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  Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well:  

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  but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.  

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  For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one [point], he is become guilty of all.  

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  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.  

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  So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty.  

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  For judgment [is] without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment.  

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  What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him?  

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  If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food,  

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  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?  

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  Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.  

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  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.  

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

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  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren?  

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

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  Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect;  

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  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.  

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  Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.  

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  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?  

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  For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.  

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