1 My brothers, if you have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory, do not take a man's position into account.2 For if a man comes into your Synagogue in fair clothing and with a gold ring, and a poor man comes in with dirty clothing,3 And you do honour to the man in fair clothing and say, Come here and take this good place; and you say to the poor man, Take up your position there, or be seated at my feet;4 Is there not a division in your minds? have you not become judges with evil thoughts?5 Give ear, my dear brothers; are not those who are poor in the things of this world marked out by God to have faith as their wealth, and for their heritage the kingdom which he has said he will give to those who have love for him?6 But you have put the poor man to shame. Are not the men of wealth rulers over you? do they not take you by force before their judges?7 Do they not say evil of the holy name which was given to you?8 But if you keep the greatest law of all, as it is given in the holy Writings, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself, you do well:9 But if you take a man's position into account, you do evil, and are judged as evil-doers by the law.10 For anyone who keeps all the law, but makes a slip in one point, is judged to have gone against it all.11 For he who said, Do not be untrue in married life, is the same who said, Put no man to death. Now if you are not untrue in married life, but you put a man to death, the law is broken.12 Let your words and your acts be those of men who are to be judged by the law which makes free.13 For the man who has had no mercy will be judged without mercy, but mercy takes pride in overcoming judging.14 What use is it, my brothers, for a man to say that he has faith, if he does nothing? will such a faith give him salvation?15 If a brother or a sister is without clothing and in need of the day's food,16 And one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warm and full of food; but you do not give them the things of which their bodies have need, what profit is there in this?17 Even so faith without works is dead.18 But a man may say, You have faith and I have works; let me see your faith without your works, and I will make my faith clear to you by my works.19 You have the belief that God is one, and you do well: the evil spirits have the same belief, shaking with fear.20 Do you not see, O foolish man, that faith without works is of no use?21 Was not the righteousness of Abraham our father judged by his works, when he made an offering of Isaac his son on the altar?22 You see that his faith was helping his works and was made complete by them;23 And the holy Writings were put into effect which said, And Abraham had faith in God and it was put to his account as righteousness; and he was named the friend of God.24 You see that a man's righteousness is judged by his works and not by his faith only.25 And in the same way, was not the righteousness of Rahab, the loose woman, judged by her works, when she took into her house those who were sent and let them go out by another way?26 For as the body without the spirit is dead even so faith without works is dead.

1 Fratres mei, nolite in personarum acceptione habere fidem Domini nostri Jesu Christi glori. 2 Etenim si introierit in conventum vestrum vir aureum annulum habens in veste candida, introierit autem et pauper in sordido habitu, 3 et intendatis in eum qui indutus est veste prclara, et dixeritis ei : Tu sede hic bene : pauperi autem dicatis : Tu sta illic ; aut sede sub scabello pedum meorum : 4 nonne judicatis apud vosmetipsos, et facti estis judices cogitationum iniquarum ? 5 Audite, fratres mei dilectissimi : nonne Deus elegit pauperes in hoc mundo, divites in fide, et hredes regni, quod repromisit Deus diligentibus se ? 6 vos autem exhonorastis pauperem. Nonne divites per potentiam opprimunt vos, et ipsi trahunt vos ad judicia ? 7 nonne ipsi blasphemant bonum nomen, quod invocatum est super vos ? 8 Si tamen legem perficitis regalem secundum Scripturas : Diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum : bene facitis : 9 si autem personas accipitis, peccatum operamini, redarguti a lege quasi transgressores. 10 Quicumque autem totam legem servaverit, offendat autem in uno, factus est omnium reus. 11 Qui enim dixit : Non mchaberis, dixit et : Non occides. Quod si non mchaberis, occides autem, factus es transgressor legis. 12 Sic loquimini, et sic facite sicut per legem libertatis incipientes judicari. 13 Judicium enim sine misericordia illi qui non fecit misericordiam : superexaltat autem misericordia judicium.14 Quid proderit, fratres mei, si fidem quis dicat se habere, opera autem non habeat ? numquid poterit fides salvare eum ? 15 Si autem frater et soror nudi sint, et indigeant victu quotidiano, 16 dicat autem aliquis ex vobis illis : Ite in pace, calefacimini et saturamini : non dederitis autem eis qu necessaria sunt corpori, quid proderit ? 17 Sic et fides, si non habeat opera, mortua est in semetipsa. 18 Sed dicet quis : Tu fidem habes, et ego opera habeo : ostende mihi fidem tuam sine operibus : et ego ostendam tibi ex operibus fidem meam. 19 Tu credis quoniam unus est Deus : bene facis : et dmones credunt, et contremiscunt. 20 Vis autem scire, o homo inanis, quoniam fides sine operibus mortua est ? 21 Abraham pater noster nonne ex operibus justificatus est, offerens Isaac filium suum super altare ? 22 Vides quoniam fides cooperabatur operibus illius : et ex operibus fides consummata est ? 23 Et suppleta est Scriptura, dicens : Credidit Abraham Deo, et reputatum est illi ad justitiam, et amicus Dei appellatus est. 24 Videtis quoniam ex operibus justificatur homo, et non ex fide tantum ? 25 Similiter et Rahab meretrix, nonne ex operibus justificata est, suscipiens nuntios, et alia via ejiciens ? 26 Sicut enim corpus sine spiritu mortuum est, ita et fides sine operibus mortua est.