Read the Bible

¹ My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring,² in fine apparel, and there come in also a poor man in dirty raiment,³ And ye look upon him that weareth the fine apparel, and say to him, Sit thou here in a good place, and say to the poor man,⁴ Stand thou there, or, Sit thou here under my footstool, Ye distinguish not in yourselves, but are become evil-reasoning judges.⁵ Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he hath promised to them that love him?⁶ But ye have disgraced the poor.⁷ Do not the rich oppress you and drag you to the judgment-seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name, by which ye are called?

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 of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.¹⁰ For whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is guilty of all.¹¹ For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. If then thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.¹² So speak ye and so act, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.¹³ For judgment without mercy shall be to him that shewed no mercy: mercy glorieth over judgment.

¹⁴ What doth it profit, my brethren, tho' a man say he hath faith, and have not works?¹⁵ Can that faith save him? If a brother or a sister be naked,¹⁶ and want daily food, And one of you say to them, Depart in peace; be ye warmed and filled, but give them not the things needful for the body, what doth it profit?¹⁷ So likewise faith, if it hath not works, is dead in itself.¹⁸ But one will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works. Shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.¹⁹ Thou believest there is one God: thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.²⁰ But art thou willing to know, O empty man, that faith without works is dead?²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered up Isaac his son upon the altar?²² Thou seest that faith wrought together with his works, and by works was faith made perfect.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 a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.²⁵ In like manner Rahab the harlot also was justified by works, having received the messengers and sent them out another way?²⁶ Therefore as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.