Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, July 19th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

James 2:9

But if you are treating one person as more important than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God's law.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Commandments;   Faith;   Neighbor;   Poor;   Religion;   Respect of Persons;   Rulers;   The Topic Concordance - Favoritism;   Sin;   Transgression;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Respect of Persons;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Law;   Holman Bible Dictionary - James, the Letter;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Bible;   Canon of the New Testament;   Games;   Idolatry;   Law;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Commandment;   Formalism;   James ;   Law;   Reproof;   Respect of Persons;   Socialism;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Convict;   Infinite;   James, Epistle of;   Person;   Poor;   Respect of Persons;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If, however, you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
King James Version (1611)
But if ye haue respect to persons, ye commit sinne, and are conuinced of the Law, as transgressours.
King James Version
But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
English Standard Version
But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
New American Standard Bible
But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as violators.
New Century Version
But if you treat one person as being more important than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God's law.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Berean Standard Bible
But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Contemporary English Version
But if you treat some people better than others, you have done wrong, and the Scriptures teach that you have sinned.
Complete Jewish Bible
But if you show favoritism, your actions constitute sin, since you are convicted under the Torah as transgressors.
Darby Translation
But if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But if yee regarde the persons, yee commit sinne, and are rebuked of the Lawe, as transgressours.
George Lamsa Translation
But if you discriminate among men, you commit sin and you will be condemned by the law as transgressors of the law.
Good News Translation
But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker.
Lexham English Bible
But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and thus are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Literal Translation
But if you have partiality you work sin, being reproved by the Law as transgressors.
Amplified Bible
But if you show partiality [prejudice, favoritism], you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as offenders.
American Standard Version
but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
Bible in Basic English
But if you take a man's position into account, you do evil, and are judged as evil-doers by the law.
Hebrew Names Version
But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
International Standard Version
But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and will be convicted by the law as violators.James 2:1;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
but if you accept persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors against the law.
Murdock Translation
but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin; and ye are convicted by the law, as transgressors of the law.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But yf ye regarde one person more then another, ye commit sinne, and are rebuked of the lawe, as transgressours.
English Revised Version
but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
World English Bible
But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
Weymouth's New Testament
But if you are making distinctions between one man and another, you are guilty of sin, and are convicted by the Law as offenders.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But if ye taken persones, ye worchen synne, and ben repreued of the lawe, as trespasseris.
Update Bible Version
but if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
Webster's Bible Translation
But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
New English Translation
But if you show prejudice, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as violators.
New King James Version
but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
New Living Translation
But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.
New Life Bible
But if you look on one man as more important than another, you are sinning. And the Law says you are sinning.
New Revised Standard
But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, if ye are shewing respect of persons, sin, are ye working, being convicted by the law as transgressors!
Douay-Rheims Bible
But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, being reproved by the law as transgressors.
Revised Standard Version
But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
But yf ye regarde one person more then another ye commit synne and are rebuked of the lawe as transgressours.
Young's Literal Translation
and if ye accept persons, sin ye do work, being convicted by the law as transgressors;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But yf ye regarde one person more then another, ye comit synne, and are rebuked of the lawe as trsagressours.
Mace New Testament (1729)
but partiality is iniquity; and the law will convict the offender of transgression.
Simplified Cowboy Version
But if all you do is ride by those less fortunate than you or who are different than you, then it is you who is the scoundrel and will be treated as such.

Contextual Overview

8 One law rules over all other laws. This royal law is found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself." If you obey this law, you are doing right. 9 But if you are treating one person as more important than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God's law. 10 You might follow all of God's law. But if you fail to obey only one command, you are guilty of breaking all the commands in that law. 11 God said, "Don't commit adultery." The same God also said, "Don't kill." So if you don't commit adultery, but you kill someone, you are guilty of breaking all of God's law. 12 You will be judged by the law that makes people free. You should remember this in everything you say and do. 13 Yes, you must show mercy to others. If you do not show mercy, then God will not show mercy to you when he judges you. But the one who shows mercy can stand without fear before the Judge.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if: James 2:1-4, Leviticus 19:15

are: John 8:9, John 8:46, John 16:8, *marg. 1 Corinthians 14:24, Jude 1:15

transgressors: Romans 3:20, Romans 7:7-13, Galatians 2:19, 1 John 3:4

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 1:17 - shall not Ezra 10:2 - We have trespassed Job 13:10 - reprove Psalms 51:4 - Against Malachi 4:4 - the law Luke 18:11 - as John 7:24 - General Acts 10:34 - Of a Romans 7:5 - which Galatians 3:10 - Cursed Philippians 3:9 - which is of the

Cross-References

Genesis 2:8
Then the Lord God planted a garden in the East, in a place named Eden. He put the man he made in that garden.
Genesis 2:9
Then the Lord God caused all the beautiful trees that were good for food to grow in the garden. In the middle of the garden, he put the tree of life and the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil.
Genesis 2:17
But you must not eat from the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil. If you eat fruit from that tree, on that day you will certainly die!"
Genesis 3:3
But there is one tree we must not eat from. God told us, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden. You must not even touch that tree, or you will die.'"
Deuteronomy 6:25
If we carefully obey the whole law, exactly as the Lord our God told us to, he will say that we have done a very good thing.'
Proverbs 3:18
Wisdom is like a life-giving tree to those who hold on to her; she is a blessing to those who keep her close.
Proverbs 11:30
What good people produce is like a life-giving tree. Those who are wise give new life to others.
Isaiah 44:25
False prophets tell lies, but the Lord shows that their lies are false. He makes fools of those who do magic. He confuses even the wise. They think they know a lot, but he makes them look foolish.
Isaiah 47:10
You do bad things but still feel safe. You say to yourself, ‘No one sees the wrong I do.' You thought that your wisdom and knowledge would save you. You tell yourself, ‘I alone am important, and no one else matters.'
Ezekiel 31:16
I made the tree fall—and the nations shook with fear at the sound of the falling tree. I sent the tree down to the place of death to join the other people who had gone down into that deep hole. In the past, all the trees of Eden, the best of Lebanon, drank that water. The trees were comforted in the world below.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, c] This is not doing well, but is a transgression of the law, as every sin is hence it follows,

and are convinced of the law as transgressors; which carries on a formal process against such persons; it accuses them of sin, and charges them with it; it proves it upon them, and convicts them of it; it pronounces them guilty, and curses them for it; and passes the sentence of condemnation and death upon them; wherefore care should be taken not to commit this sin, and so fall under the convictions and reproofs of the law.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin - You transgress the plain law of God, and do wrong. See the references on James 2:1.

And are convinced of the law as transgressors - Greek “By the law.” The word convinced is now used in a somewhat different sense from what it was formerly. It now commonly refers to the impression made on a man’s mind by showing him the truth of a thing which before was doubted, or in respect to which the evidence was not clear. A man who doubted the truth of a report or a proposition may be convinced or satisfied of its truth; a man who has done wrong, though he supposed he was doing what was proper, may be convinced of his error. So a man may be convinced that he is a sinner, though before he had no belief of it, and no concern about it; and this may produce in his mind the feeling which is technically known as conviction, producing deep distress and anguish. See the notes at John 16:8. Here, however, the word does not refer so much to the effect produced on the mind itself, as to the fact that the law would hold such an one to be guilty; that is, the law pronounces what is done to be wrong. Whether they would be personally convinced of it, and troubled about it as convicted sinners, would be a different question, and one to which the apostle does not refer; for his object is not to show that they would be troubled about it, but to show that the law of God condemned this course, and would hold them to be guilty. The argument here is not from the personal distress which this course would produce in their own minds, but from the fact that the law of God condemned it.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 9. But if ye have respect to persons — In judgment, or in any other way; ye commit sin against God, and against your brethren, and are convinced, ελεγχομενοι, and are convicted, by the law; by this royal law, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; as transgressors, having shown this sinful acceptance of persons, which has led you to refuse justice to the poor man, and uphold the rich in his oppressive conduct.


 
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