Online Bible

Epistle of James, Chapter 2

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James 2 NASB - New American Standard BibleJames 2 NASB - New American Standard Bible

Chapter 2 of James—New American Standard Bible (NASB)

  1. 1My brethren, 2do not hold your faith in our 3glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of 4personal favoritism.
  2. For if a man comes into your [a]assembly with a gold ring and dressed in [b]5fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in 6dirty clothes,
  3. and you [c]pay special attention to the one who is wearing the 7fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,”
  4. have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges 8with evil [d]motives?
  5. Listen, 9my beloved brethren: did not 10God choose the poor [e]of this world to be 11rich in faith and 12heirs of the kingdom which He 13promised to those who love Him?
  6. But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and [f]personally 14drag you into [g]court?
  7. 15Do they not blaspheme the fair name [h]by which you have been called?
  8. ¶ If, however, you 16are fulfilling the [i]royal law according to the Scripture, “17YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well.
  9. But if you 18show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the [j]law as transgressors.
  10. For whoever keeps the whole [k]law and yet 19stumbles in one point, he has become 20guilty of all.
  11. For He who said, “21DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,” also said, “22DO NOT COMMIT MURDER.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the [l]law.
  12. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by 23the law of liberty.
  13. For 24judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy [m]triumphs over judgment.
  14. 25What use is it, 26my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can [n]that faith save him?
  15. 27If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
  16. and one of you says to them, “28Go in peace, [o]be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?
  17. Even so 29faith, if it has no works, is [p]dead, being by itself.
  18. 30But someone [q]may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your 31faith without the works, and I will 32show you my faith 33by my works.”
  19. You believe that [r]34God is one. 35You do well; 36the demons also believe, and shudder.
  20. But are you willing to recognize, 37you foolish fellow, that 38faith without works is useless?
  21. 39Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
  22. You see that 40faith was working with his works, and [s]as a result of the 41works, faith was [t]perfected;
  23. and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “42AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called 43the friend of God.
  24. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
  25. In the same way, was not 44Rahab the harlot also justified by works 45when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
  26. For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also 46faith without works is dead.

FOOTNOTES

  1. ^ Or synagogue
  2. ^ Or bright
  3. ^ Lit look at
  4. ^ Lit reasonings
  5. ^ Lit to the
  6. ^ Lit they themselves
  7. ^ Lit courts
  8. ^ Lit which has been called upon you
  9. ^ Or law of our King
  10. ^ Or Law
  11. ^ Or Law
  12. ^ Or Law
  13. ^ Lit boasts against
  14. ^ Lit the
  15. ^ Or warm yourselves and fill yourselves
  16. ^ Or dead by its own standards
  17. ^ Lit will
  18. ^ One early ms reads there is one God
  19. ^ Or by the deeds
  20. ^ Or completed

REFERENCES

  1. ^ Jm 1:16
  2. ^ Heb 12:2
  3. ^ Ac 7:2; 1Co 2:8
  4. ^ Ac 10:34; Jm 2:9
  5. ^ Lu 23:11; Jm 2:3
  6. ^ Zc 3:3f
  7. ^ Lu 23:11
  8. ^ Lu 18:6; Jn 7:24
  9. ^ Jm 1:16
  10. ^ Jb 34:19; 1Co 1:27f
  11. ^ Lu 12:21; Re 2:9
  12. ^ Mt 5:3; 25:34
  13. ^ Jm 1:12
  14. ^ Ac 8:3; 16:19
  15. ^ Ac 11:26; 1Pe 4:16
  16. ^ Mt 7:12
  17. ^ Le 19:18
  18. ^ Ac 10:34; Jm 2:1
  19. ^ Jm 3:2; 2Pe 1:10; Jd 24
  20. ^ Mt 5:19; Ga 5:3
  21. ^ Ex 20:14; De 5:18
  22. ^ Ex 20:13; De 5:17
  23. ^ Jm 1:25
  24. ^ Pr 21:13; Mt 5:7; 18:32-35; Lu 6:37f
  25. ^ Jm 1:22ff
  26. ^ Jm 1:16
  27. ^ Mt 25:35f; Lu 3:11
  28. ^ 1Jo 3:17f
  29. ^ Ga 5:6; Jm 2:20, 26
  30. ^ Ro 9:19
  31. ^ Ro 3:28; 4:6; Heb 11:33
  32. ^ Jm 3:13
  33. ^ Mt 7:16f; Ga 5:6
  34. ^ De 6:4; Mr 12:29
  35. ^ Jm 2:8
  36. ^ Mt 8:29; Mr 1:24; 5:7; Lu 4:34; Ac 19:15
  37. ^ Ro 9:20; 1Co 15:36
  38. ^ Ga 5:6; Jm 2:17, 26
  39. ^ Ge 22:9, 10, 12, 16-18
  40. ^ Jn 6:29; Heb 11:17
  41. ^ 1Th 1:3
  42. ^ Ge 15:6; Ro 4:3
  43. ^ 2Ch 20:7; Is 41:8
  44. ^ Heb 11:31
  45. ^ Jos 2:4, 6, 15
  46. ^ Ga 5:6; Jm 2:17, 20

Read James Chapter 2 in other Bible versions:

Comments

  1. Kiamia DoelKiamia Doel
    Jan 9, 2025 23:00 GMT

    The NWT adds words to the text that are not in the greek Manuscripts to fit it's own doctrinal position for example

    Compare the wording of the NWT and the NKJV at Colossians 1:15-17

    NKJV says

    15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

    NWT says

    15 He is the image of the invisible God,the firstborn OF all creation;16 because by means of him all OTHER things were created in the heavens and on the earth, the things visible and the things invisible,whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All OTHER things have been created through him and for him. 17 Also, he is before all OTHER things,and by means of him all OTHER things were made to exist,

    The word “other” is not in the Greek but they add it Why? So they can decieve their followers into thinking that Christ was created by the Father and that he then created other things, that is not what the Greek says.

    1. SmeSme
      Feb 27, 2025 11:17 GMT

      Truth is from God and those that follow him. As for lies? John8:44

      Kiamia, I noticed you used a modern version of kjv to make your point about the nwt.

      Why didn’t you use the original kjv of col1:15?

      Is it because it disproves your point? It proves the opposite of what you wrote?

      Here is kjv col1:15 ¶” Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn OF every creature:“

      Now I appeal to your Christian nature to correct your mistake as God is watching each of us, and let us bless the God of Jesus his father.

      Kjv 1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ….

  2. YanekYanek
    Dec 24, 2024 22:18 GMT

    Joshua, Jehovah’s Witnesses have never denied the deity of the Messiah in his prehuman existence. While on Earth he was fully 100% human. I do not mean he was a mere human, he was not affected by Adam’s unfaithful behavior, he was sinless.

  3. David yakubuDavid yakubu
    Oct 29, 2022 08:05 GMT

    When i do read some comments and seeing that its the same people that are supposed to be called believers but are talking ill of other denominations, it hurts. Let us all remember that We should judge not

    1. jonas smithjonas smith
      Apr 23, 2023 02:57 GMT

      The bible tells us to test the spirits. Satan disguises himself as angel of light. So yes some denomination are not teaching the truth. You are responsible for judging which ones are not. You have to judge the truth at all times. this is what the bible teaches

  4. THTH
    Apr 7, 2021 00:20 GMT

    The NWT is a very good translation. Dr. Jason David BeDuhn PhD attests to that in his book Truth in Translation. drive.google.com/...5p16melHzg8/view

    1. James LernerJames Lerner
      Jul 20, 2024 09:48 GMT

      The NWT is Satanic filth to its very core.

      The JW Cult is Satanic to its very core.

      Praise Yahweh I will never be a victim of JW brainwashing. If I burn in Hell for eternity or I am ultimately annihilated so be it

      May Yahweh's curse rest on the Watchtower Society and its Satanic leadership

    2. jim mcleodjim mcleod
      Aug 22, 2021 06:16 GMT

      NWT is a false translation that takes away from the deity of Jesus !

  5. SlightlyChaoticSlightlyChaotic
    Jan 30, 2021 16:33 GMT

    Thank you for taking the time to provide this service. I like seeing the NASB on your web page in the same format as I read on paper. On other sites, the text area is smaller, and so I have to keep scrolling down to read and sometimes I lose the context. So I really appreciate the format.

    As far as the NWT, you are certainly free to do whatever you think best with your own web pages. I'd suggest that you make a note anytime you have a translation that is associated with only one denomination or church, for example:
    New World Translation (Jehovah's Witness version).

    In Jesus' parable of the wheat and the tares. the main idea seems to be that you can't easily distinguish between God's people and not-God's people on this earth, so our Lord's response is to wait until they are shown to be the kind of people they are inside. But the NWT seems like false teaching to me. So I think the warning passages from Jesus' apostles are more applicable, as in 2 Peter 3:15-16, when he talks about Paul's writings:
    "There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures."
    And we also have the positive exhortations, as in 2 Timothy 2:15:
    "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."

    1. BroderickBroderick
      Jan 31, 2021 00:57 GMT

      Your suggestion regarding the denominational flagging is duly noted. But I can’t help but wonder, wouldn’t a Catholic also want “Protestant versions” marked as well?

      As for the parable, I’m pretty sure the slaves were convinced in their own minds that they could tell the tares from the wheat. After all, aren’t they the ones who identified the problem in the first place? But the master obviously thought otherwise.

      Furthermore, even at the time when Jesus himself was walking the earth, not everybody who claimed fellowship actually followed him causing John to inquire at Mark 9:39, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him . . . for he who is not against us is for us.”

  6. Joshua HarderJoshua Harder
    Dec 11, 2020 17:48 GMT

    Hello, question.. why have you included the NWT with other legitimate bible translations? Or why have you not atleast included a warning to readers? Don't you fear that someone could be influenced by the Watchtower's intentional heresies? Thank you.

    1. KevinKevin
      Jul 11, 2021 17:45 GMT

      en.m.wikipedia.org/..._Holy_Scriptures

      See the section critical review

    2. ChrisChris
      Jan 8, 2021 07:15 GMT

      Please site these intentional heresies. I am well versed in the watch tower outline and agree they are in many ways incorrect but i also bet i can point many out from EVERY established or main denomination. There is much to learn from them all as one who drinks milk?

      Judge not lest ye be judged, that is not to pass judgement on you either brother.

      I debate with scripture. I don't hold it to be true that Michael is Y'Shua HaMeshiach but I also firmly hold it to be true that our G-d and Heavenly Father are not the word encarnate and only begotten son.

      I love not seeing "lord" which i relate to baal. I feel the catholic church is a satanic establishment and I am aware a freemason started the hovies but there are evil in high places and our fight is also with principalities.

      What i'm saying is that in my darkest hours, those two were some of if not the only ones who would bring a Bible and eucharist and pray with me.

      We all fall short of the glory of G-d.

      Don't forget the NWT was recognized as the most accurate translation on Jeopardy.

      Lastly, this is different I noted than the NWT i have read and am very familiar with. Pull up the watchtower page and compare. I truly look forward to getting this one!

  7. julietjuliet
    Aug 17, 2022 09:36 GMT

    the sky is blue

  8. mercymercy
    Aug 12, 2022 21:23 GMT

    i am Mercy, the sky is blue what else do you need

    1. mercymercy
      Aug 12, 2022 21:25 GMT

      i am so sorry, it was a big mistake

  9. God is able to do all thingsGod is able to do all things
    May 17, 2021 17:59 GMT

    Jesus how much love calling yo name

  10. EmpiralEmpiral
    Jul 4, 2025 19:06 GMT

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