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Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025
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Read the Bible

Young's Literal Translation

James 2:9

and if ye accept persons, sin ye do work, being convicted by the law as transgressors;

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Commandments;   Faith;   Neighbor;   Poor;   Religion;   Respect of Persons;   Rulers;   The Topic Concordance - Favoritism;   Sin;   Transgression;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Respect of Persons;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Law;   Holman Bible Dictionary - James, the Letter;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Bible;   Canon of the New Testament;   Games;   Idolatry;   Law;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Commandment;   Formalism;   James ;   Law;   Reproof;   Respect of Persons;   Socialism;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Convict;   Infinite;   James, Epistle of;   Person;   Poor;   Respect of Persons;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If, however, you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
King James Version (1611)
But if ye haue respect to persons, ye commit sinne, and are conuinced of the Law, as transgressours.
King James Version
But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
English Standard Version
But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
New American Standard Bible
But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as violators.
New Century Version
But if you treat one person as being more important than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God's law.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Berean Standard Bible
But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Contemporary English Version
But if you treat some people better than others, you have done wrong, and the Scriptures teach that you have sinned.
Complete Jewish Bible
But if you show favoritism, your actions constitute sin, since you are convicted under the Torah as transgressors.
Darby Translation
But if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
Easy-to-Read Version
But if you are treating one person as more important than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God's law.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But if yee regarde the persons, yee commit sinne, and are rebuked of the Lawe, as transgressours.
George Lamsa Translation
But if you discriminate among men, you commit sin and you will be condemned by the law as transgressors of the law.
Good News Translation
But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker.
Lexham English Bible
But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and thus are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Literal Translation
But if you have partiality you work sin, being reproved by the Law as transgressors.
Amplified Bible
But if you show partiality [prejudice, favoritism], you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as offenders.
American Standard Version
but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
Bible in Basic English
But if you take a man's position into account, you do evil, and are judged as evil-doers by the law.
Hebrew Names Version
But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
International Standard Version
But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and will be convicted by the law as violators.James 2:1;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
but if you accept persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors against the law.
Murdock Translation
but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin; and ye are convicted by the law, as transgressors of the law.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But yf ye regarde one person more then another, ye commit sinne, and are rebuked of the lawe, as transgressours.
English Revised Version
but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
World English Bible
But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
Weymouth's New Testament
But if you are making distinctions between one man and another, you are guilty of sin, and are convicted by the Law as offenders.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But if ye taken persones, ye worchen synne, and ben repreued of the lawe, as trespasseris.
Update Bible Version
but if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
Webster's Bible Translation
But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
New English Translation
But if you show prejudice, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as violators.
New King James Version
but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
New Living Translation
But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.
New Life Bible
But if you look on one man as more important than another, you are sinning. And the Law says you are sinning.
New Revised Standard
But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, if ye are shewing respect of persons, sin, are ye working, being convicted by the law as transgressors!
Douay-Rheims Bible
But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, being reproved by the law as transgressors.
Revised Standard Version
But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
But yf ye regarde one person more then another ye commit synne and are rebuked of the lawe as transgressours.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But yf ye regarde one person more then another, ye comit synne, and are rebuked of the lawe as trsagressours.
Mace New Testament (1729)
but partiality is iniquity; and the law will convict the offender of transgression.
Simplified Cowboy Version
But if all you do is ride by those less fortunate than you or who are different than you, then it is you who is the scoundrel and will be treated as such.

Contextual Overview

8 If, indeed, royal law ye complete, according to the Writing, `Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,' -- ye do well; 9 and if ye accept persons, sin ye do work, being convicted by the law as transgressors; 10 for whoever the whole law shall keep, and shall stumble in one [point], he hath become guilty of all; 11 for He who is saying, `Thou mayest not commit adultery,' said also, `Thou mayest do no murder;' and if thou shalt not commit adultery, and shalt commit murder, thou hast become a transgressor of law; 12 so speak ye and so do, as about by a law of liberty to be judged, 13 for the judgment without kindness [is] to him not having done kindness, and exult doth kindness over judgment.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if: James 2:1-4, Leviticus 19:15

are: John 8:9, John 8:46, John 16:8, *marg. 1 Corinthians 14:24, Jude 1:15

transgressors: Romans 3:20, Romans 7:7-13, Galatians 2:19, 1 John 3:4

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 1:17 - shall not Ezra 10:2 - We have trespassed Job 13:10 - reprove Psalms 51:4 - Against Malachi 4:4 - the law Luke 18:11 - as John 7:24 - General Acts 10:34 - Of a Romans 7:5 - which Galatians 3:10 - Cursed Philippians 3:9 - which is of the

Cross-References

Genesis 2:8
And Jehovah God planteth a garden in Eden, at the east, and He setteth there the man whom He hath formed;
Genesis 2:9
and Jehovah God causeth to sprout from the ground every tree desirable for appearance, and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:17
and of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou dost not eat of it, for in the day of thine eating of it -- dying thou dost die.'
Genesis 3:3
and of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden God hath said, Ye do not eat of it, nor touch it, lest ye die.'
Deuteronomy 6:25
and righteousness it is for us, when we observe to do all this command before Jehovah our God, as He hath commanded us.
Proverbs 3:18
A tree of life she [is] to those laying hold on her, And whoso is retaining her [is] happy.
Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous [is] a tree of life, And whoso is taking souls [is] wise.
Isaiah 44:25
Making void the tokens of devisers, And diviners it maketh mad, Turning the wise backward, And their knowledge it maketh foolish.
Isaiah 47:10
And thou art confident in thy wickedness, Thou hast said, `There is none seeing me,' Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, It is turning thee back, And thou sayest in thy heart, `I [am], and none else.'
Ezekiel 31:16
From the sound of his fall I have caused nations to shake, In My causing him to go down to sheol, With those going down to the pit, And comforted in the earth -- the lower part, are all trees of Eden, The choice and the good of Lebanon, All drinking waters.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, c] This is not doing well, but is a transgression of the law, as every sin is hence it follows,

and are convinced of the law as transgressors; which carries on a formal process against such persons; it accuses them of sin, and charges them with it; it proves it upon them, and convicts them of it; it pronounces them guilty, and curses them for it; and passes the sentence of condemnation and death upon them; wherefore care should be taken not to commit this sin, and so fall under the convictions and reproofs of the law.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin - You transgress the plain law of God, and do wrong. See the references on James 2:1.

And are convinced of the law as transgressors - Greek “By the law.” The word convinced is now used in a somewhat different sense from what it was formerly. It now commonly refers to the impression made on a man’s mind by showing him the truth of a thing which before was doubted, or in respect to which the evidence was not clear. A man who doubted the truth of a report or a proposition may be convinced or satisfied of its truth; a man who has done wrong, though he supposed he was doing what was proper, may be convinced of his error. So a man may be convinced that he is a sinner, though before he had no belief of it, and no concern about it; and this may produce in his mind the feeling which is technically known as conviction, producing deep distress and anguish. See the notes at John 16:8. Here, however, the word does not refer so much to the effect produced on the mind itself, as to the fact that the law would hold such an one to be guilty; that is, the law pronounces what is done to be wrong. Whether they would be personally convinced of it, and troubled about it as convicted sinners, would be a different question, and one to which the apostle does not refer; for his object is not to show that they would be troubled about it, but to show that the law of God condemned this course, and would hold them to be guilty. The argument here is not from the personal distress which this course would produce in their own minds, but from the fact that the law of God condemned it.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 9. But if ye have respect to persons — In judgment, or in any other way; ye commit sin against God, and against your brethren, and are convinced, ελεγχομενοι, and are convicted, by the law; by this royal law, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; as transgressors, having shown this sinful acceptance of persons, which has led you to refuse justice to the poor man, and uphold the rich in his oppressive conduct.


 
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