The Two Foundations

²⁴ “Therefore, ^(A)everyone who hears these words of Mine, and ^[a]acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell and the ^[b]floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶ And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not ^[c]act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain fell and the ^[d]floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.”

The Parable of the Builders

⁴⁶ “Now ^(A)why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? ^47 (B)Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and ^[a]acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: ⁴⁸ he is like a man building a house, who ^[b]dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when there was a flood, the river burst against that house and yet it could not shake it, because it had been well built. ⁴⁹ But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; and the river burst against it and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

¹³ for it is ^(A)not the hearers ^[a]of the Law who are ^[b]righteous before God, but the doers ^[c]of the Law who will be justified.

^22 (A)But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his ^[a]natural face ^(B)in a mirror; ²⁴ for once he has looked at himself and gone away, ^[b]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. ²⁵ But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, ^(C)the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but ^[c]an active doer, this person will be ^(D)blessed in ^[d]what he does.

Faith and Works

^14 (A)What use is it, ^(B)my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can ^[a]that faith save him? ^15 (C)If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “^(D)Go in peace, ^[b]be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? ¹⁷ In the same way, ^(E)faith also, if it has no works, is ^[c]dead, being by itself.

^18 (F)But someone ^[d]may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your ^(G)faith without the works, and I will ^(H)show you my faith ^(I)by my works.” ¹⁹ You believe that ^[e](J)God is one. ^(K)You do well; ^(L)the demons also believe, and shudder. ²⁰ But are you willing to acknowledge, ^(M)you foolish person, that ^(N)faith without works is useless?