Warning against Having Favorites
1 My friends, if you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, you won't treat some people better than others. 2 Suppose a rich person wearing fancy clothes and a gold ring comes to one of your meetings. And suppose a poor person dressed in worn-out clothes also comes. 3 You must not give the best seat to the one in fancy clothes and tell the one who is poor to stand at the side or sit on the floor. 4 This is the same as saying that some people are better than others, and you would be acting like a crooked judge.
5 My dear friends, pay attention. God has given a lot of faith to the poor people in this world. God has also promised them a share in his kingdom that he will give to everyone who loves him. 6 You mistreat the poor. But isn't it the rich who boss you around and drag you off to court? 7 Aren't they the ones who make fun of your Lord?
8 You will do all right, if you obey the most important law in the Scriptures. It is the law that commands us to love others as much as we love ourselves. 9 But if you treat some people better than others, you have done wrong, and the Scriptures teach that you have sinned.
10 If you obey every law except one, you are still guilty of breaking them all. 11 The same God who told us to be faithful in marriage also told us not to murder. So even if you are faithful in marriage, but murder someone, you still have broken God's Law.
12 Speak and act like people who will be judged by the law that sets us free. 13 Do this, because on the day of judgment there will be no pity for those who have not had pity on others. But even in judgment, God is merciful!
Faith and Works
14 My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything to show you really do have faith? Can this kind of faith save you? 15 If you know someone who doesn't have any clothes or food, 16 you shouldn't just say, “I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat.” What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? 17 Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!
18 Suppose someone disagrees and says, “It is possible to have faith without doing kind deeds.”
I would answer, “Prove that you have faith without doing kind deeds, and I will prove that I have faith by doing them.” 19 You surely believe there is only one God. That's fine. Even demons believe this, and it makes them shake with fear.
20 Does some stupid person want proof that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Well, our ancestor Abraham pleased God by putting his son Isaac on the altar to sacrifice him. 22 Now you see how Abraham's faith and deeds worked together. He proved his faith was real by what he did. 23 This is what the Scriptures mean by saying, “Abraham had faith in God, and God accepted him.” That's how Abraham became God's friend.
24 You can now see that we please God by what we do and not only by what we believe. 25 For example, Rahab had been a prostitute. But she pleased God when she welcomed the spies and sent them home by another way.
26 Anyone who doesn't breathe is dead, and faith that doesn't do anything is just as dead!
1 Mani brāļi, lai mūsu godības Kunga Jēzus Kristus ticība jums nesaistās ar cilvēka vaiga uzlūkošanu. 2 Jo, ja jūsu sapulcē ienāktu vīrs ar zelta gredzenu, greznā tērpā, bet ienāktu arī nabags netīrā tērpā, 3 un jūs uzlūkotu to, kas valkā grezno tērpu, un sacītu: tu nosēdies labi ērti še, - bet nabagam sacītu: tu stāvi vai sēdies tur pie mana kāju pamesla, - 4 vai jūs nebūtu nākuši nesaskaņā paši ar sevi un nebūtu izrādījušies par ļaundomīgiem spriedējiem? 5 Klausaities, mani mīļotie brāļi, vai Dievs tos, kas pasaulei ir nabagi, nav izredzējis par bagātniekiem ticībā un tās valsts mantiniekiem, ko Viņš ir apsolījis tiem, kas Viņu mīl? 6 Bet jūs esat nabagu likuši negodā. Vai bagātie pār jums neuzkundzējas? Vai viņi jūs nerauj tiesās? 7 Vai ne viņi ir tie, kas zaimo labo Vārdu, kas saukts pār jums? 8 Ja vien jūs pildāt ķēnišķīgo likumu pēc rakstiem: tev būs savu tuvāku mīlēt kā sevi pašu, - tad jūs darāt labi. 9 Bet, ja jūs cilvēka vaigu uzlūkojat, jūs darāt grēku, un pēc bauslības jūs esat pārkāpēji. 10 Jo, kas visu bauslību pildītu, bet grēkotu pret vienu bausli, tas ir noziedzies pret visiem. 11 Jo, kas ir sacījis: tev nebūs laulību pārkāpt, - ir teicis arī: tev nebūs nokaut. Ja nu tu nepārkāp laulību, bet nokauj, tad tu esi kļuvis bauslības pārkāpējs. 12 Tā runājiet un tā dariet kā tādi, ko tiesās svabadības likums, 13 jo tiesa ir bez žēlastības tam, kas neparāda žēlastību. Žēlastība nebēdā par tiesu! 14 Ko tas palīdz, mani brāļi, ja kāds teic, tam esot ticība, bet tam nav darbu? Vai ticība viņu var izglābt? 15 Ja brālis vai māsa ir kaili un tiem trūkst dienišķas barības, 16 bet kāds no jums viņiem teiktu: ejiet ar mieru, sildieties un baudiet barību, - bet nedotu viņiem to, kas miesai vajadzīgs, ko tas palīdz? 17 Tāpat arī ticība, ja tai nav darbu, tā pati par sevi ir nedzīva. 18 Bet gan kāds teiks: tev ir ticība, un man ir darbi. - Parādi man savu ticību bez darbiem, un es tev parādīšu ticību no saviem darbiem. 19 Tu tici, ka ir viens Dievs, tu dari labi; arī ļaunie gari tic un dreb. 20 Bet vai tu gribi zināt, tukšais cilvēk, ka ticība bez darbiem ir nedzīva? 21 Ābrahāms, mūsu tēvs, vai ne no darbiem viņš tapa taisnots, ziedodams Īzāku, savu dēlu, uz altāra? 22 Tu redzi, ka ticība ir līdzi darbojusies viņa darbiem, un tā darbos ticība ir tapusi pilnīga, 23 un ir piepildīti raksti, kas saka: Ābrahāms ticēja Dievam, un tas viņam tika pielīdzināts par taisnību, - un viņš tika nosaukts Dieva draugs. 24 Redziet, ka no darbiem cilvēks top taisnots un ne no ticības vien. 25 Līdzīgi arī Rahāba, netikle, vai ne no darbiem viņa tika taisnota, sūtņus uzņemdama un pa citu ceļu izlaizdama? 26 Līdzīgi kā miesa bez gara ir nedzīva, tāpat arī nedzīva ir ticība bez darbiem.
