Warning against Prejudice
1 My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance. 2 Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes. 3 If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, “Have this best seat here,” but say to the poor man, “Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet,” 4 then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives.
5 Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him. 6 But you dishonor the poor! Who are the ones who oppress you and drag you before the judges? The rich! 7 They are the ones who speak evil of that good name which has been given to you.
8 You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 9 But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker. 10 Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all. 11 For the same one who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Even if you do not commit adultery, you have become a lawbreaker if you commit murder. 12 Speak and act as people who will be judged by the law that sets us free. 13 For God will not show mercy when he judges the person who has not been merciful; but mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith and Actions
14 My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you? 15 Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat. 16 What good is there in your saying to them, “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!”—if you don't give them the necessities of life? 17 So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.
18 But someone will say, “One person has faith, another has actions.” My answer is, “Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions.” 19 Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe—and tremble with fear. 20 You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless? 21 How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar. 22 Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions. 23 And the scripture came true that said, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” And so Abraham was called God's friend. 24 You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone.
25 It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road.
26 So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead.
Nespriediet par cilvēku pēc izskata!
1 Mani brāļi, ticību uz godības Kungu Jēzu Kristu nesaistiet ar cilvēka ārieni. 2 Ja jūsu sinagogā ienāk vīrs greznās drānās ar zelta gredzeniem pirkstos un ienāk arī nabags noplīsušās drēbēs 3 un jūs, uzlūkodami to, kas greznās drānās, tam sakāt: apsēdies ērti še! – bet nabagam: tu nostājies tur! – vai: sēdies pie mana kājsola! – 4 vai tad tā jūs nesākat viens otru šķirot, kļūdami par tiesnešiem ar aplamiem spriedumiem? 5 Ieklausieties, mani mīļotie brāļi, vai tad Dievs nav izredzējis tos, kas pasaulē nabagi, būt bagātiem ticībā un par tās Valstības mantiniekiem, ko viņš apsolījis tiem, kas viņu mīl? 6 Bet jūs turpretim liekat nabago negodā. Vai tad tie nav bagātie, kas jums uzkundzējas un velk jūs uz tiesām? 7 Vai tieši viņi nav tie, kas zaimo Kunga labo vārdu, kādā sauc arī jūs? 8 Ja jūs piepildāt ķēnišķo bauslību pēc Rakstiem: mīli savu tuvāko kā sevi pašu, – jūs darāt labi, 9 bet, ja jūs spriežat par cilvēku pēc ārienes, tad jūs grēkojat un bauslība jūs atmasko kā pārkāpējus. 10 Ikviens, kas visu bauslību pilda un tomēr vienā bauslī to pārkāpj, ir visu baušļu pārkāpējs. 11 Tas, kas saka: nepārkāp laulību, – saka arī: nenogalini! Bet, ja tu nepārkāp laulību un tomēr nogalini, tu kļūsti par bauslības pārkāpēju. 12 Runājiet un rīkojieties tā, it kā jūs būtu tiesājami pēc brīvības likuma. 13 Jo tam, kas nav parādījis žēlsirdību, tiesa ir bez apžēlošanas. Bet žēlsirdība daudzkārt pārspēj tiesu.
Ticība un darbi
14 Ko tas līdz, mani brāļi, ja kāds teic, ka viņam esot ticība, bet viņam nav darbu? Vai tad ticība var viņu izglābt? 15 Ja brālis vai māsa ir kaili un bez dienišķās maizes 16 un kāds no jums viņiem saka: miers ar jums, lai jums silti un lai esat paēduši, – bet nedodat viņiem neko no tā, kas miesai vajadzīgs, ko tas līdz? 17 Tāpat arī ticība, ja tai nav darbu, tā pati par sevi ir mirusi. 18 Bet kāds sacīs: tev ir ticība, bet man ir darbi. – Parādi man savu ticību bez darbiem, savukārt es parādīšu tev savu ticību ar saviem darbiem. 19 Tu tici, ka ir viens Dievs, to tu labi dari; arī dēmoni tic un dreb. 20 Tukšais cilvēk, vai gribi zināt, ka ticība bez darbiem ir nedzīva? 21 Vai tad Ābrahāms, mūsu tēvs, netika attaisnots tieši darbu dēļ, kad uzlika savu dēlu Īzaku uz altāra? 22 Tu redzi, ka ticība viņa darbiem līdzdarbojās un ar darbiem ticība tapa pilnīga. 23 Tā piepildās Raksti, kas saka: Ābrahāms ticēja Dievam, un tas viņam tika pieskaitīts par taisnību, – un tā viņš tika nosaukts par Dieva draugu. 24 Jūs redzat, ka cilvēks tiek attaisnots ar darbiem un ne no ticības vien. 25 Vai arī mauka Rāhāba tāpat netika attaisnota ar darbiem, kad uzņēma sūtņus un parādīja tiem bēgšanai citu ceļu? 26 Jo, kā miesa bez gara ir mirusi, tā arī ticība ir mirusi bez darbiem.
