Translations
F.O.G.MPrimary
F.O.G MessageWhat good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no works to show for it? Can that kind of faith save anyone?
F.O.GSecondary
The F.O.GWhat is the profit, my brothers, if someone claims to have emunah but has no ma'asim? Can that kind of emunah save him?
KJV
King James VersionWhat doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
BSB
Berean Standard BibleWhat good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
Footnotes
The definite article ἡ πίστις ("the faith" — that specific kind of faith, namely faith-without-works) in the closing question is deliberate: James is not attacking genuine faith but unmasking a counterfeit. Both versions render "that kind of faith" to capture this nuance. Ma'asim (works) is retained in F.O.G as a Jewish covenantal category — deeds that embody covenant loyalty.
