James 2 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

My brothers and sisters, as people who trust in our glorious Master Jesus, The One, don't play favorites.

Imagine someone walks into your gathering wearing gold rings and expensive clothes, and then a poor person comes in wearing worn-out clothes.

If you pay special attention to the one wearing expensive clothes and say, "Here, take this great seat," but tell the poor person, "Stand over there," or "Sit on the floor by my feet" —

haven't you created divisions among yourselves and become judges with corrupt motives?

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn't God choose the people the world considers poor to be rich in trust and to inherit the kingdom he promised to those who love him?

But you've dishonored the poor person. Aren't the rich the ones who oppress you? Aren't they the ones who drag you into court?

Aren't they the ones who slander the honorable name that was spoken over you?

If you really live out the royal law found in Scripture — "Love the person next to you the same way you love yourself" — you're doing the right thing.

But if you play favorites, you're breaking the law, and it exposes you as someone who violates it.

Because whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles on just one point has become guilty of breaking all of it.

The same God who said, "Don't commit adultery," also said, "Don't murder." So even if you don't commit adultery but you do murder, you've still broken the law.

So speak and act like people who are going to be evaluated by the law that sets you free.

Because judgment will be merciless to anyone who hasn't shown mercy. But mercy wins out over judgment every time.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have trust but doesn't back it up with action? Can that kind of trust rescue them?

If a brother or sister doesn't have enough clothes or food for the day,

and one of you tells them, "Go in peace, stay warm and eat well," but doesn't give them what they actually need — what good is that?

In the same way, trust by itself — if it doesn't produce action — is dead.

But someone will say, "You have trust and I have actions." Fine — show me your trust without any actions, and I'll show you my trust by what I do.

You believe that God is one? Great — even the demons believe that, and they shudder.

Do you want proof, you empty-headed person, that trust without action is useless?

Wasn't our ancestor Abraham shown to be right with God by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

You see that his trust and his actions were working together, and his trust was made complete by what he did.

And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham trusted God, and it was credited to him as being right with God" — and he was called God's friend.

You see that a person is shown to be right with God by what they do, not by trust alone.

In the same way, wasn't Rahab the prostitute also shown to be right with God by what she did when she took in the messengers and sent them out by a different route?

Just as a body without breath is dead, trust without action is dead.