James 2 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
1 My brethren, haue not the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons.
1 My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with partiality.
2 For if there come into your company a man with a golde ring, and in goodly apparell, and there come in also a poore man in vile raiment,
2 For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in,
3 And ye haue a respect to him that weareth the gaie clothing; and say vnto him, Sit thou here in a goodly place, and say vnto the poore, Stand thou there, or sit here vnder my footestoole,
3 and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing and say, “Sit here in a good place;” and you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool”
4 Are yee not partiall in your selues, and are become iudges of euill thoughts?
4 haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Hearken my beloued brethren, hath not God chosen the poore of this worlde, that they should be rich in faith, and heires of the kingdome which he promised to them that loue him?
5 Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him?
6 But ye haue despised the poore. Doe not the riche oppresse you by tyrannie, and doe not they drawe you before the iudgement seates?
6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and personally drag you before the courts?
7 Doe nor they blaspheme the worthie Name after which yee be named?
7 Don’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?
8 But if yee fulfill the royall Lawe according to the Scripture, which saith, Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe, yee doe well.
8 However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.
9 But if yee regarde the persons, yee commit sinne, and are rebuked of the Lawe, as transgressours.
9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For whosoeuer shall keepe the whole Lawe, and yet faileth in one poynt, hee is guiltie of all.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
11 For he that saide, Thou shalt not commit adulterie, saide also, Thou shalt not kill. Nowe though thou doest none adulterie, yet if thou killest, thou art a transgressour of the Lawe.
11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speake ye, and so doe, as they that shall be iudged by the Lawe of libertie.
12 So speak and so do as men who are to be judged by the law of freedom.
13 For there shalbe condemnation merciles to him that sheweth not mercie, and mercie reioyceth against condemnation.
13 For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
14 What auaileth it, my brethren, though a man saith he hath faith, when he hath no workes? can that faith saue him?
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?
15 For if a brother or a sister bee naked and destitute of daily foode,
15 And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,
16 And one of you say vnto them, Depart in peace: warme your selues, and fil your bellies, notwithstading ye giue them not those things which are needefull to the body, what helpeth it?
16 and one of you tells them, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled;” yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it?
17 Euen so the faith, if it haue no woorkes, is dead in it selfe.
17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.
18 But some man might say, Thou hast the faith, and I haue woorkes: shewe me thy faith out of thy woorkes, and I will shewe thee my faith by my woorkes.
18 Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 Thou beleeuest that there is one God: thou doest well: the deuils also beleeue it, and tremble.
19 You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder.
20 But wilt thou vnderstand, O thou vaine man, that the faith which is without workes, is dead?
20 But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father iustified through workes, when he offred Isaac his sonne vpon the altar?
21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Seest thou not that the faith wrought with his workes? and through the workes was the faith made perfect.
22 You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected.
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which sayeth, Abraham beleeued God, and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse: and hee was called the friende of God.
23 So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.
24 Ye see then howe that of workes a man is iustified, and not of faith onely.
24 You see then that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot iustified through workes, when she had receiued ye messengers, and sent them out another way?
25 In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without ye spirit is dead, euen so the faith without workes is dead.
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
Cross references (26)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Proverbs 24:23; James 2:9; Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 16:19; Deuteronomy 1:17
- 2 Esther 3:10; Luke 15:22; Matthew 11:8–9; Zechariah 3:3–4; Esther 8:2
- 3 2 Corinthians 8:9; James 2:6; Luke 7:44–46; Isaiah 65:5; Jude 16
- 4 John 7:24; Job 34:19; Matthew 7:1–5; Psalm 82:2; James 4:11
- 5 Matthew 5:3; Luke 6:20; Revelation 2:9; 1 Corinthians 1:26–28; 2 Corinthians 8:9
- 6 Proverbs 17:5; Proverbs 14:31; 1 Corinthians 11:22; Psalm 14:6; James 5:4
- 7 Philippians 2:9–11; Psalm 111:9; Ephesians 3:15; 1 Timothy 1:13; Revelation 13:5–6
- 8 Leviticus 19:18; Galatians 5:14; Matthew 22:39; Romans 13:8–9; James 2:12
- 9 Leviticus 19:15; James 2:1–4; John 8:9; 1 John 3:4; Romans 3:20
- 10 Galatians 3:10; Matthew 5:18–19; Deuteronomy 27:26
- 11 Exodus 20:13–14; Matthew 5:21–28; Deuteronomy 5:17–18; Romans 13:9; Matthew 19:18
- 12 James 1:25; James 2:8; Philippians 4:8; 2 Peter 1:4–8; Colossians 3:17
- 13 Matthew 5:7; Matthew 6:15; Proverbs 21:13; Luke 6:37; Ephesians 2:4–7
- 14 Matthew 7:26–27; Matthew 7:21–23; James 1:22–25; Luke 6:49; Titus 1:16
- 15 Luke 3:11; Matthew 25:35–40; Isaiah 58:7; Job 31:16–21; Isaiah 58:10
- 16 Proverbs 3:27–28; 1 John 3:16–18; Matthew 25:42–45; Romans 12:9; 2 Corinthians 8:8
- 17 James 2:26; 2 Peter 1:5–9; James 2:19–20; James 2:14; 1 Corinthians 13:13
- 18 James 3:13; James 2:14; 1 Timothy 1:5; Galatians 5:6; Titus 2:11–14
- 19 Luke 4:34; Mark 1:24; Matthew 8:29; Acts 16:17; Deuteronomy 6:4
- 20 James 2:17; James 2:26; Proverbs 12:11; Romans 1:21; Psalm 94:8–11
- 21 Genesis 22:16–18; Genesis 22:9–12; John 8:39; Matthew 12:37; Romans 4:16
- 22 1 Thessalonians 1:3; Hebrews 11:17–19; Galatians 5:6; 1 John 2:5; James 2:18
- 23 Genesis 15:6; Isaiah 41:8; 2 Chronicles 20:7; Galatians 3:6; Romans 4:22–24
- 24 James 2:21–22; James 2:15–18
- 25 Hebrews 11:31; Joshua 6:22–25; Joshua 2:19–21; Joshua 2:15; Joshua 2:4
- 26 James 2:20; James 2:17; James 2:14; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Job 34:14–15
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… by these things, but that they were given as a sign to the people, this fact shows,-- that Abraham himself, without circumcision and without observance of Sabbaths, "believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God." Then, again, Lot, without circumcision, was brought out from Sodom, receiving salvation from God.
Forgive her, O Lord, forgive her, I beseech Thee; "enter not into judgment" with her. Let Thy mercy be exalted above Thy justice, because Thy words are true, and Thou hast promised mercy unto "the merciful;" which Thou gavest them to be who wilt "have mercy" on whom Thou wilt "have mercy," and wilt "have compassion" on whom Thou hast …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
He was justified not only by works, but also by faith: for though he did many things well, yet he was never called the friend of God, except when he believed.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
For faith apart from works is dead, and so likewise are works apart from faith.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 9 (1899)
… the whole city of God in its pilgrim state, for it cries to God by the mouth of all its members, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." And this prayer is efficacious not for those whose faith is "without works and dead," but for those whose faith "worketh by love." For as reason, though subjected to God, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)