James 2:17

Simplified Cowboy Version

Faith without works is like a saddle without a horse.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself.

King James Version (1611)
Euen so faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone.

King James Version
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

English Standard Version
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

New American Standard Bible
In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

New Century Version
In the same way, faith by itself—that does nothing—is dead.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

Berean Standard Bible
So too, faith by itself, if it is not complemented by action, is dead.

Contemporary English Version
Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!

Complete Jewish Bible
Thus, faith by itself, unaccompanied by actions, is dead.

Darby Translation
So also faith, if it have not works, is dead by itself.

Easy-to-Read Version
It is the same with faith. If it is just faith and nothing more—if it doesn't do anything—it is dead.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Euen so the faith, if it haue no woorkes, is dead in it selfe.

George Lamsa Translation
Even so faith, without works, is dead, by itself.

Good News Translation
So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.

Lexham English Bible
Thus also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.

Literal Translation
So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself.

Amplified Bible
So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective].

American Standard Version
Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

Bible in Basic English
Even so faith without works is dead.

Hebrew Names Version
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.

International Standard Version
In the same way, faith by itself, if it does not have any works, is dead.

Etheridge Translation
Thus also the faith that hath not works is dead, (being) alone.

Murdock Translation
So also faith alone, without works, is dead.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Euen so, fayth, yf it haue not deedes, is dead in it selfe:

English Revised Version
Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

World English Bible
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
So likewise faith, if it hath not works, is dead in itself.

Weymouth's New Testament
So also faith, if it is unaccompanied by obedience, has no life in it--so long as it stands alone.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
So also feith, if it hath not werkis, is deed in it silf.

Update Bible Version
Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead in itself.

Webster's Bible Translation
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

New English Translation
So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself.

New King James Version
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

New Living Translation
So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

New Life Bible
A faith that does not do things is a dead faith.

New Revised Standard
So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So, also, faith, if it have not works, is dead, by itself.

Douay-Rheims Bible
So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

Revised Standard Version
So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Eve so fayth yf it have no dedes is deed in it selfe.

Young's Literal Translation
so also the faith, if it may not have works, is dead by itself.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Euen so faith, yf it haue no dedes, is deed in it selfe.

Mace New Testament (1729)
just so faith, if it be not operative, is intirely lifeless.

Contextual Overview

¹⁴What good is a faith that only goes as far as their lips? Is a person a cowboy if he claims to have a saddle, but it's never seen a set of pockets or a mount? Can faith that is never used actually save someone? ¹⁵If a guy or gal only has rags to wear and not enough food for every day, ¹⁶and a cowboy says to them, "Ride tall in the saddle my friend and stay warm and eat well," but doesn't offer to help them, what good is it to say such things? ¹⁷Faith without works is like a saddle without a horse. ¹⁸Now some folks will mouth-off and say that if they have faith, they don't have to do anything. But I say that a saddle ain't nothin' but a decoration if it ain't on a horse and being used. Same goes for faith and works. ¹⁹Do you want a cookie for saying the Boss is real? Shoot, even demons know that—and crap their pants in fear. ²⁰So you want me to prove that like a saddle without a horse is useless, so faith without works is the same? ²¹Wasn't the great cowboy Abraham right in God's eyes because he came within an instant of sacrificing his boy Isaac? ²²His faith was workin' and it was by these works that his faith was perfected. ²³And the good words from the Good Book were proven true when it said, "Abraham trusted God with his faith and actions and this made him right in the Boss's eyes," and he was called the Boss's pard.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

so: James 2:14, James 2:19, James 2:20, James 2:26, 1 Corinthians 13:3, 1 Corinthians 13:13, 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 1 Timothy 1:5, 2 Peter 1:5-9

alone: Gr. by itself

Reciprocal: Ezekiel 18:11 - that Matthew 7:24 - whosoever Luke 6:49 - that heareth 1 Corinthians 15:2 - unless Colossians 2:13 - dead Philemon 1:6 - the communication

Cross-References

Romans 1:32
They know this type of life leads to death, but they continue on like it's a joke. The only people they like are the ones who go with them toward the cliff.

Romans 6:16
Don't you know that when ya hire onto an outfit, ya gotta do things the way they do 'em—whether ya hire onto sin's outfit, which leads to death, or ya sign on to ride for the Lord, which leads to life.

Romans 8:2
Because you ride with him, the power of life he offers trumps the power of death sin offers.

1 Corinthians 15:22
I'm talking about how sin entered the world through Adam, and now, eternal life is waiting on us all through Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:56
Death's power to sting is sin, and the power of sin is the code.

Galatians 3:10
But those who trust in rules to make 'em right with God are cursed. The Good Book says, "Cursed is the cowboy who doesn't follow all the rules and obey them completely."

Ephesians 5:14
No one can hide from God's light. This is why this was spoken, "Get up sleeper, rise from your grave, and Christ will light your way."

Colossians 2:13
You were dead in your sin, but God made you alive in Christ.

1 Timothy 5:6
But keep a wary eye out for widows who don't really need help, but get the attention they desire with tearful sob stories. A woman who'd do that is dead already.

1 John 5:16
If you see a fellow cowboy doing something he shouldn't, you should pray for him and God will hear the prayer and bring him back. That's not to say there is a possibility someone could do something so heinous that God would turn their back on them. Possibly something as bad as turning their backs on God. Praying for that guy probably wouldn't do a lot of good.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. It is like a lifeless carcass, a body without a soul, James 2:26 for as works, without faith, are dead works, so faith, without works, is a dead faith, and not like the lively hope and faith of regenerated persons: and indeed, such who have no other faith than this are dead in trespasses and sins; not that works are the life of faith, or that the life of faith lies in, and flows from works; but, as Dr. Ames observes b, good works are second acts, necessarily flowing from the life of faith; to which may be added, and by these faith appears to be living, lively and active, or such who perform them appear to be true and living believers.

b Medulla Theolog. l. 2. c. 7. sect. 35.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If a brother or sister be naked ... - The comparison in these verses is very obvious and striking. The sense is, that faith in itself, without the acts that correspond to it, and to which it would prompt, is as cold, and heartless, and unmeaning, and useless, as it would be to say to one who was destitute of the necessaries of life, depart in peace.” In itself considered, it might seem to have something that was good; but it would answer none of the purposes of faith unless it should prompt to action. In the case of one who was hungry or naked, what he wanted was not good wishes or kind words merely, but the acts to which good wishes and kind words prompt. And so in religion, what is wanted is not merely the abstract state of mind which would be indicated by faith, but the life of goodness to which it ought to lead. Good wishes and kind words, in order to make them what they should be for the welfare of the world, should be accompanied with corresponding action. So it is with faith. It is not enough for salvation without the benevolent and holy acts to which it would prompt, any more than the good wishes and kind words of the benevolent are enough to satisfy the wants of the hungry, and to clothe the naked, without correspondent action. Faith is not and cannot be shown to be genuine, unless it is accompanied with corresponding acts; as our good wishes for the poor and needy can be shown to be genuine, when we have the means of aiding them, only by actually ministering to their necessities. In the one case, our wishes would be shown to be unmeaning and heartless; in the other, our faith would be equally so. In regard to this passage, therefore, it may be observed:

(1) That in fact faith is of no more value, and has no more evidence of genuineness when it is unaccompanied with good works, than such empty wishes for the welfare of the poor would be when unaccompanied with the means of relieving their wants. Faith is designed to lead to good works. It is intended to produce a holy life; a life of activity in the service of the Saviour. This is its very essence; it is what it always produces when it is genuine. Religion is not designed to be a cold abstraction; it is to be a living and vivifying principle.

(2) There is a great deal of that kindness and charity in the world which is expressed by mere good wishes. If we really have not the means of relieving the poor and the needy, then the expression of a kind wish may be in itself an alleviation to their sorrows, for even sympathy in such a case is of value, and it is much to us to know that others feel for us; but if we have the means, and the object is a worthy one, then such expressions are mere mockery, and aggravate rather than soothe the feelings of the sufferer. Such wishes will neither clothe nor feed them; and they will only make deeper the sorrows which we ought to heal. But how much of this is there in the world, when the sufferer cannot but feel that all these wishes, however kindly expressed, are hollow and false, and when he cannot but feel that relief would be easy!

(3) In like manner there is much of this same kind of worthless faith in the world - faith that is dead; faith that produces no good works; faith that exerts no practical influence whatever on the life. The individual professes indeed to believe the truths of the gospel; he may be in the church of Christ; he would esteem it a gross calumny to be spoken of as an infidel; but as to any influence which his faith exerts over him, his life would be the same if he had never heard of the gospel. There is not one of the truths of religion which is bodied forth in his life; not a deed to which he is prompted by religion; not an act which could not be accounted for on the supposition that he has no true piety. In such a case, faith may with propriety be said to be dead.

Being alone - Margin, “by itself.” The sense is, “being by itself:” that is, destitute of any accompanying fruits or results, it shows that it is dead. That which is alive bodies itself forth, produces effects, makes itself visible; that which is dead produces no effect, and is as if it were not.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 17. If it hath not works, is dead — The faith that does not produce works of charity and mercy is without the living principle which animates all true faith, that is, love to God and love to man. They had faith, such as a man has who credits a well-circumstanced relation because it has all the appearance of truth; but they had nothing of that faith that a sinner, convinced of his sinfulness, God's purity, and the strictness of the Divine laws, is obliged to exert in the Lord Jesus, in order to be saved from his sins.