James 2:17
James 2:14-17 The Message (MSG)
Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
James 2:17 King James Version (KJV)
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
James 2:17 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
James 2:17 New Century Version (NCV)
In the same way, faith by itself—that does nothing—is dead.
James 2:17 American Standard Version (ASV)
Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.
James 2:17 New International Version (NIV)
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:17 New King James Version (NKJV)
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James 2:17 Amplified Bible (AMP)
So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective].
James 2:17 New Living Translation (NLT)
So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.