James 2 – NIV & CCBT

New International Version

James 2:1-26

Favoritism Forbidden

1My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

5Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”2:8 Lev. 19:18 you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”2:11 Exodus 20:14; Deut. 5:18 also said, “You shall not murder.”2:11 Exodus 20:13; Deut. 5:17 If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Deeds

14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

20You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless2:20 Some early manuscripts dead? 21Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”2:23 Gen. 15:6 and he was called God’s friend. 24You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)

雅各書 2:1-26

不可以貌取人

1我的弟兄姊妹,你們既然信了我們榮耀的主耶穌基督,就不可以貌取人。 2比方說,一個手戴金飾、衣著華麗的人來參加你們的聚會,一個衣衫襤褸的人也來參加, 3你們就看重那衣著華麗的,對他說:「請上座。」卻對那窮人說:「你站在那邊。」或「坐在我的腳凳邊。」 4你們這樣做難道不是偏心待人,心懷惡意地判斷人嗎?

5我親愛的弟兄姊妹,請聽我說,上帝不是揀選了窮人,使他們在信心上富足,並承受祂應許賜給那些愛祂之人的國度嗎? 6你們反倒侮辱窮人。其實欺壓你們、抓你們上法庭的不是那些富人嗎? 7不正是他們褻瀆你們所敬奉的尊名嗎?

8如果你們能切實行出聖經中「要愛鄰如己」這條至尊的律法,就好了。 9如果你們偏待人,嫌貧愛富,便是犯罪,律法要將你們定罪。 10人只要觸犯律法中的一條,就等於違犯了全部, 11因為那位說「不可通姦」的,也說過「不可殺人」。如果你沒有犯通姦罪,卻殺了人,你仍違犯了律法。 12既然你們要按使人自由的律法受審判,就應該按律法行事為人。 13因為不憐憫人的會受到無情的審判,但憐憫勝過審判。

信心和行為

14我的弟兄姊妹,如果有人自稱有信心,卻沒有行為來證實,有什麼用呢?這種信心能夠救他嗎? 15如果有弟兄姊妹缺衣少食, 16你們只是對他們說:「安心走吧,願你們穿得暖,吃得飽」,卻不幫助他解決實際困難,這有什麼用呢? 17因此,信心若沒有行為,就是死的。

18必有人說:「你有信心,我有行為。」請把你沒有行為的信心指給我看,我就藉著行為把我的信心顯給你看。 19你相信上帝只有一位,你信得沒錯,鬼魔也相信,而且恐懼戰抖。

20愚蠢的人啊,你們不知道沒有行為的信心是死的嗎? 21我們的祖先亞伯拉罕把兒子以撒獻在祭壇上的時候,難道不是因行為而被稱為義人嗎? 22可見他的信心和行為相稱,而且信心要有行為才是完全的。 23這正應驗了聖經的記載:「亞伯拉罕信上帝,就被算為義人」,並且被稱為「上帝的朋友」。 24可見人要被上帝算為義人必須有與信心相稱的行為,並非單有信心。 25還有妓女喇合,她收留使者,把他們藏在家裡,又送他們從別的路逃生,不也是因行為而被稱為義人嗎?

26身體沒有靈魂是死的,同樣,信心沒有行為也是死的。