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2
1 My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord of glory, Jesus Christ, with respect of persons. 2 For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring, in splendid apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment, 3 and ye have respect to him that weareth the splendid apparel, and say, Sit thou here in a good place, and say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or, Sit under my footstool, 4 have ye not been partial among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Hearken, my beloved brethren. Did not God choose the poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him? 6 but ye have despised the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and do not they drag you before the judgment-seats? 7 Do not they blaspheme the worthy name by which ye are called? 8 If indeed ye fulfill the royal law, according to the scripture, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,” ye do well. 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever hath kept the whole law, and yet hath offended in one point, hath become guilty of all. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” said also, “Do not kill.” Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou hast become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For the judgment shall be without mercy to him that showed no mercy. Mercy glorieth against judgment. 14 What doth it profit, my brethren, if any one say that he hath faith, and have not works? Can his faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you say to them, Depart in peace, be warmed and be filled, notwithstanding ye give them not the things needful for the body, what doth it profit? 17 So also faith, if it hath not works, is dead in itself. 18 But some one will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; show me thy faith without works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well; the demons also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is idle? 21 Was not Abraham our father accepted as righteous through works, when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness;” and he was called the friend of God. 24 Ye see that by works a man is accounted as righteous, and not by faith only. 25 And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot accounted as righteous through works, when she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

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