My brethren, {Or, do ye, in accepting persons, hold the faith glory?}hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
For if there come into your {Or, assembly Compare Hebrews 10:25 (Greek)}synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing;
and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool;
{Or, are ye not divided}do ye not make distinctions {Or, in your own mind}among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?
But ye have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats?
Do not they blaspheme the honorable name {Greek: which was called upon you? See Acts 15:17.}by which ye are called?
Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, {Leviticus 19:18.}Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well:
but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all.
For he that said, {Exodus 20:13 f. Deuteronomy 5:17 f. }Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty.
For judgment is without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment.
What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food,
and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.
{Or, But some one will say}Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith.
Thou believest that {Some ancient authorities read there is one God.}God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder.
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar?
{Or, Seest thou…perfect?}Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect;
and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, {Genesis 15:6}And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; {Isaiah 41:8; 2 Chronicles 20:7}and he was called the friend of God.
Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.
And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
Querverweise zu Jakobus 2,5 Jak 2,5
And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.
But let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate:
I love them that love me;And those that seek me {Or, early}diligently shall find me.
Riches and honor are with me;Yea, {Or, ancient}durable wealth and righteousness.
My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold;And my {Or, increase}revenue than choice silver.
I walk in the way of righteousness,In the midst of the paths of justice;
That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance,And that I may fill their treasuries.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to them that love him.
And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, Jehovah hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, ye peoples, all of you.
What then shall one answer the messengers of the nation? That Jehovah hath founded Zion, and in her shall the afflicted of his people take refuge.
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
and showing lovingkindness unto {Or, a thousand generations}thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding:Far be it from God, that he should do wickedness,And from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
The meek also shall increase their joy in Jehovah, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
Wherefore let no one glory in men. For all things are yours;
whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Therefore Jehovah, the God of Israel, saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now Jehovah saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
It is changed as clay under the seal;And all things stand forth {Or, as in a garment}as a garment:
But I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall take refuge in the name of Jehovah.
For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through {Greek: the more.}the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound unto the glory of God.
and {Or, I appoint unto you, even as my Father appointed unto me a kingdom, that ye may eat and drink &c.}I appoint unto you a kingdom, even as my Father appointed unto me,
I love them that love me;And those that seek me {Or, early}diligently shall find me.
Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me,And attend to the words of my mouth.
So I fed the flock of slaughter, verily {Or, the most miserable of sheep}the poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called {Or, Graciousness }Beauty, and the other I called {Or, Binders Or, Union}Bands; and I fed the flock.
as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me;For blessed are they that keep my ways.
And it was broken in that day; and {Or, the poor of the flock…knew of a truth}thus {Or, the most miserable of sheep}the poor of the flock that gave heed unto me knew that it was the word of Jehovah.
having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
to the end that ye should walk worthily of God, who {Some ancient authorities read called.}calleth you into his own kingdom and glory.
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
And he called to him the multitude again, and said unto them, Hear me all of you, and understand:
the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have {Or, the gospel}good tidings preached to them.
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to {Greek: bring good tidings of the &c. Compare chapter 2:17.}preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God; to the end that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
And he said,Brethren and fathers, hearken: The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, {Or, ready to sympathize}willing to communicate;
henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing.
but as it is written, {Isaiah 64:4; 65:17.}Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not,And which entered not into the heart of man,Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him.
And as they went on the way, a certain man said unto him, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
accounting the reproach of {Or, the Christ Compare 1 Corinthians 10:4.}Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he looked unto the recompense of reward.
The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be the glory {Greek: unto the ages of the ages.}for ever and ever. Amen.
henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing.
And Jesus said unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven have {Greek: lodging-places.}nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art rich), and the {Or, reviling}blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels into Abraham's bosom: and the rich man also died, and was buried.
I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eyesalve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see.
for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
But Abraham said, {Greek: Child.}Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things: but now here he is comforted, and thou art in anguish.
He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Hath any of the rulers believed on him, or of the Pharisees?
For {Or, ye behold}behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea {Many ancient authorities omit and.}and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are:
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might become rich.