James 2:1-13

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Sin of Favoritism

2 My brothers, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.^{(A) 2} For example, a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in. ³ If you look with favor on the man wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or, “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” ⁴ haven’t you discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

⁵ Listen, my dear brothers: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world^(B) to be rich in faith^(C) and heirs^(D) of the kingdom that He has promised to those who love Him? ⁶ Yet you dishonored that poor man.^(E) Don’t the rich oppress you and drag^(F) you into the courts? ⁷ Don’t they blaspheme the noble name that was pronounced over you at your baptism?^(G)

⁸ Indeed, if you keep the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself,^(H)[a] you are doing well. ⁹ But if you show favoritism,^(I) you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. ¹⁰ For whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of breaking it all.^{(J) 11} For He who said, Do not commit adultery,^[b] also said, Do not murder.^(K)[c] So if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you are a lawbreaker.

¹² Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom.^{(L) 13} For judgment is without mercy to the one who hasn’t shown mercy.^(M) Mercy triumphs over judgment.