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E oku teina, kaua e waiho i runga i te whakapai kanohi te whakapono ki to tatou Ariki kororia, ki a Ihu Karaiti.

Ki te tomo mai hoki tetahi tangata ki to koutou whare karakia he mowhiti koura nei tona, he kakahu pai; a ka tomo mai ano he rawakore, he kakahu paru nei tona;

A ka titiro atu koutou ki te tangata i te kakahu pai, ka mea ki a ia, E noho koe ki konei, ki te wahi pai; a ka mea ki te rawakore, E tu koe ki kona, E noho ranei ki konei, ki raro i toku turanga waewae:

He teka ianei he tikanga tahatahi ta koutou, kua he hoki nga whakaaro o koutou, o nga kaiwhakawa?

Whakarongo, e oku teina aroha, Kahore ano koia te Atua i whiriwhiri i nga rawakore o tenei ao, kia whiwhi ki te taonga, ara ki te whakapono, kia riro hoki i a ratou te rangatiratanga kua whakaaria mai e ia mo te hunga e aroha ana ki a ia?

Heoi ka whakakino na koutou ki te rawakore. He teka ianei ko nga tangata taonga hei whakatupu rangatira ki a koutou, hei toto i a koutou ki nga whakawakanga?

He teka ianei he hunga kohukohu ratou i te ingoa pai kua whakahuatia na ki a koutou?

Engari ki te rite i a koutou te ture kingi, to te karaipiture, Me aroha e koe tou hoa, ano ko koe, ka pai ta koutou hanga:

Tena ki te whakapai kanohi koutou, e mahi ana koutou i te hara, ka mau hoki i te ture he hunga he.

10 Ki te mau hoki te ture katoa i tetahi tangata, a ka kotahi ano te mea e tapepa ai ia, kua he ia ki te katoa.

11 I tana kiinga mai hoki, Kaua e puremu, i ki mai ano ia, Kaua e patu tangata. Na, ahakoa kahore koe e puremu, ki te patu tangata koe, kua takahia e koe te ture.

12 Kia rite ta koutou korero, ta koutou mahi, ki ta te hunga e whakawakia a mua i runga i nga tikanga o te ture herekore.

13 Ko te tangata hoki kahore ona ngakau tohu, e kore e tohungia ina whakawakia; ka whakapehapeha ia te ngakau tohu ki te whakawa.

14 He aha te pai, e oku teina, ki te mea tetahi he whakapono tona, a kahore ana mahi? E taea ranei ia te whakaora e taua whakapono?

15 Ki te mea e noho tahanga ana tetahi teina, tuahine ranei, ki te mea ranei kua kore he kai mana mo tenei ra, mo tenei ra,

16 A ka mea atu tetahi o koutou ki a ratou, Haere marie, kia mahana, kia makona; a kahore e hoatu e koutou ki a ratou nga mea e matea ana e te tinana; he aha te pai?

17 Waihoki ko te whakapono, ki te kahore ana mahi, he mea mate i roto ano i a ia.

18 Na, he ki tenei ma tetahi, He whakapono tou, he mahi aku: whakakitea mai ki ahau tou whakapono motu ke i au mahi, a maku, ara ma aku mahi, e whakakite atu toku whakapono ki a koe.

19 E whakapono ana koe kotahi tonu te Atua; he pai tau meatanga: e whakapono ana hoki nga rewera, me te wiri ano.

20 Heoi e pai ana ranei koe kia matau, e te kuware, he mea huakore te whakapono ki te kahore he mahi?

21 Kihai ianei a Aperahama, to tatou matua, i tika i nga mahi, i a ia i whakaeke atu ai i tana tama, i a Ihaka, ki runga ki te aata?

22 Ka kite ranei koe i mahi tahi te whakapono me ana mahi, na nga mahi hoki i tino rite ai te whakapono?

23 A i rite ano ta te karaipiture e mea nei, I whakapono a Aperahama ki tenei, I whakapono a Aperahama ki te Atua, a ka whakairia ki a ia hei tika: ka huaina ano hoki ia ko te hoa o te Atua.

24 Heoi ka kite koutou kei nga mahi he tika mo te tangata, ehara i te mea kei te whakapono anake.

25 Waihoki ko Rahapa, te wahine kairau, kihai ianei ia i whakatikaia e nga mahi, i a ia i whakamanuhiri ai i nga karere, a tukua atu ana raua e ia ra tetahi ara ke?

26 Ka rite hoki ki te tinana ka mate nei ki te kahore te manawa ora, waihoki ko te whakapono, ki te kahore he mahi, he mea mate.

Favoritism Forbidden

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious(A) Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.(B) Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If 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,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges(C) with evil thoughts?

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

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a](K) you are doing right. But if you show favoritism,(L) you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.(M) 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles(N) at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.(O) 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b](P) also said, “You shall not murder.”[c](Q) If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

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

Faith and Deeds

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?(U) Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.(V) 16 If 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?(W) 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.(X)

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

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

20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]?(AD) 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?(AE) 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together,(AF) and his faith was made complete by what he did.(AG) 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[e](AH) and he was called God’s friend.(AI) 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

25 In 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?(AJ) 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.(AK)

Footnotes

  1. James 2:8 Lev. 19:18
  2. James 2:11 Exodus 20:14; Deut. 5:18
  3. James 2:11 Exodus 20:13; Deut. 5:17
  4. James 2:20 Some early manuscripts dead
  5. James 2:23 Gen. 15:6

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

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?

But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yea, a man may 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 that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

22 Seest thou how 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 imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.