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JAMES 2
D. Having No Respect of Persons
among the Brothers

1. My brothers, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with respect of persons.
2. For if there comes into your synagogue a man with gold rings in splendid clothing, and there also comes in a poor man in filthy clothing,
3. And you look upon the one wearing the splendid clothing and say, You sit here in a good place, and to the poor man you say, You stand there, or sit under my footstool;
4. Have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil reasonings?
5. Listen, my beloved brothers: Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which He promised to those who love Him?
6. But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and is it not they who drag you to the courts?
7. Is it not they who blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?
8. If indeed you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well;
9. But if you respect persons, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
10. For whoever keeps the whole law yet stumbles in one point has become guilty of all.
11. For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. Now if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12. So speak and so do as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom.
13. For the judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.