14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? |
15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. |
16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? |
17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. |
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. |
19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder. |
20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless4 2:20 Some early manuscripts dead ? |
21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? |
22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. |
23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"5 2:23 Gen. 15:6 and he was called God's friend. |
24 You see that a person is justified by what he does 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? |
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. |
