James 2:16
New International Version
If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?

New Living Translation
and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

English Standard Version
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

Berean Standard Bible
If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that?

Berean Literal Bible
and anyone out from you says to them, "Go in peace; be warmed and be filled," but does not give to them the needful things for the body, what is the profit?

King James Bible
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

New King James Version
and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

New American Standard Bible
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

NASB 1995
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

NASB 1977
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

Legacy Standard Bible
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

Amplified Bible
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace [with my blessing], [keep] warm and feed yourselves,” but he does not give them the necessities for the body, what good does that do?

Christian Standard Bible
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?

American Standard Version
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?

Contemporary English Version
you shouldn't just say, "I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat." What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help?

English Revised Version
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?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
and one of you tells that person, "God be with you! Stay warm, and make sure you eat enough." If you don't provide for that person's physical needs, what good does it do?

Good News Translation
What good is there in your saying to them, "God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!"--if you don't give them the necessities of life?

International Standard Version
and one of you tells them, "Go in peace! Stay warm and eat heartily." If you do not provide for their bodily needs, what good does it do?

Majority Standard Bible
If one of you tells him, ?Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,? but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that?

NET Bible
and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm and eat well," but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it?

New Heart English Bible
and one of you tells them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled;" and yet you did not give them the things the body needs, what good is it?

Webster's Bible Translation
And one of you sayeth to them, Depart in peace, be you warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

Weymouth New Testament
and one of you says to them, "I wish you well; keep yourselves warm and well fed," and yet you do not give them what they need; what is the use of that?

World English Bible
and one of you tells them, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled;” yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and anyone of you may say to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed, and be filled,” but may not give to them the things necessary for the body, what [is] the profit?

Berean Literal Bible
and anyone out from you says to them, "Go in peace; be warmed and be filled," but does not give to them the needful things for the body, what is the profit?

Young's Literal Translation
and any one of you may say to them, 'Depart ye in peace, be warmed, and be filled,' and may not give to them the things needful for the body, what is the profit?

Smith's Literal Translation
And any of you say to them, Retire in peace, be ye warmed and be ye fed; and ye give them not things fitting the body; what profit?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And one of you say to them: Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; yet give them not those things that are necessary for the body, what shall it profit?

Catholic Public Domain Version
and if anyone of you were to say to them: “Go in peace, keep warm and nourished,” and yet not give them the things that are necessary for the body, of what benefit is this?

New American Bible
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?

New Revised Standard Version
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And one of you say to them, Depart in peace, be warmed, and be filled; yet you do not give to them those things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And any of you will say to them, “Go in peace, be warm, be full”, and he would not give them the bodily necessities, what good is that?
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
and any of you say to them, Go in peace, be warmed and be filled, and yet give them not the things that are needful for the body, what does this profit them?

Godbey New Testament
and one of you may say to them, Go in peace, be ye warmed, and be ye fed; and give them not the necessaries of the body; what profit is it?

Haweis New Testament
and should one of you say to them, Go in peace, be warm, be replenished with food: yet if ye give them not the necessaries for their body; what doth it avail?

Mace New Testament
and one of you should thus address him; "go and prosper, I wish you a warm fire, and a full meal:" without relieving his wants, would he be the better for your wish?

Weymouth New Testament
and one of you says to them, "I wish you well; keep yourselves warm and well fed," and yet you do not give them what they need; what is the use of that?

Worrell New Testament
and one of you say to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," but ye give them not the things needful for the body, what does it profit?

Worsley New Testament
and one of you say to them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and be ye filled: but ye give them not the necessaries of life, what profit is it to them?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Faith and Works
15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? 17So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.…

Cross References
1 John 3:17-18
If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him? / Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.

Matthew 25:35-40
For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, / I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ / Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? ...

Luke 3:11
John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”

Galatians 6:10
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.

Proverbs 3:27-28
Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act. / Do not tell your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I will provide”—when you already have the means.

Isaiah 58:6-7
Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke? / Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

1 Timothy 6:18
Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share,

Romans 12:13
Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Hebrews 13:16
And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Deuteronomy 15:7-8
If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother. / Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs.

Acts 4:34-35
There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, / and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need.

Ezekiel 18:7
He does not oppress another, but restores the pledge to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.

Matthew 7:21
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

1 Peter 4:9-10
Show hospitality to one another without complaining. / As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.

Job 31:16-20
If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail, / if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless— / though from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow— ...


Treasury of Scripture

And one of you say to them, Depart in peace, be you warmed and filled; notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body; what does it profit?

one.

Job 22:7-9
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry…

Proverbs 3:27,28
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it

Matthew 14:15,16
And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals…

what.

James 2:14
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

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James 2
1. Do not regard the rich and despise the poor brothers;
13. rather we are to be loving and merciful;
14. and not to boast of faith without deeds;
17. because faith without deeds is useless;
19. as is the faith of the demons;
21. however, Abraham displayed both faith and actions;
25. as did Rahab.














If one of you tells him,
This phrase introduces a hypothetical situation that is meant to challenge the reader's understanding of faith and works. The use of "one of you" indicates that James is addressing believers within the Christian community, emphasizing personal responsibility. This reflects the communal nature of early Christian life, where believers were expected to care for one another, as seen in Acts 2:44-45, where the early church shared possessions and resources.

“Go in peace;
The phrase "Go in peace" was a common Jewish farewell, often used to wish someone well. It is reminiscent of the Hebrew word "Shalom," which means peace, completeness, and welfare. This expression is used in various parts of the Bible, such as in 1 Samuel 1:17 and Mark 5:34, where it signifies a blessing or a dismissal with goodwill. However, in this context, it is used ironically to highlight the inadequacy of mere words without accompanying actions.

stay warm and well fed,”
This part of the verse addresses basic human needs: warmth and food. In the historical context of James' audience, many were poor and struggling, making these necessities particularly relevant. The phrase underscores the importance of practical help over empty words. The Bible frequently emphasizes caring for the needy, as seen in Isaiah 58:7 and Matthew 25:35-40, where providing for physical needs is portrayed as a reflection of true faith.

but does not provide for his physical needs,
Here, James points out the inconsistency between words and actions. The failure to provide for physical needs is a direct contradiction to the verbal blessing given. This reflects the broader biblical theme that faith without works is dead, as further elaborated in James 2:17. The call to action is rooted in the teachings of Jesus, who emphasized love and service to others, as seen in John 13:34-35.

what good is that?
This rhetorical question challenges the reader to consider the value of faith that is not accompanied by action. It echoes the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, where He warns against empty religious practices (Matthew 7:21-23). The question serves as a call to self-examination, urging believers to align their actions with their professed faith, as true faith is demonstrated through deeds, reflecting the transformative power of the Gospel.

Persons / Places / Events
1. James
The author of the epistle, traditionally identified as James, the brother of Jesus and a leader in the early Jerusalem church. He is known for his practical teachings on living out one's faith.

2. The Early Church
The context in which James writes, where believers were often in need and relied on the community for support.

3. The Needy Brother or Sister
Represents any member of the Christian community who is lacking basic necessities like food and clothing.
Teaching Points
Faith in Action
True faith is demonstrated through actions. Merely speaking kind words without accompanying them with deeds is insufficient.

Compassion and Responsibility
As Christians, we have a responsibility to care for our brothers and sisters in need. This is a tangible expression of our faith and love.

Practical Love
Love must be practical and meet the real needs of others. Words of comfort are hollow without the provision of physical necessities.

Community Support
The church community should be a place where needs are met, reflecting the love and provision of Christ.

Examine Your Heart
Regularly assess whether your actions align with your professed faith. Are you actively seeking to meet the needs of others?(16) And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled.--Is it unlikely, knowing as we do the style of the rugged Apostle, that he was drawing other than from the life? Perhaps it was a scene in his own experience during that very famine foretold by Agabus (Acts 11:28-30).

There would, however, seem to be a worse interpretation of the words, beginning so softly with the Eastern benediction: namely, "Ye are warming and filling yourselves." It is the rebuke of cool prosperity to importunate adversity: "Why such impatience? God is one, and our Father: He will provide." No amount of faith could clothe the shivering limbs and still the hunger pangs; what greater mockery than to be taunted with texts and godly precepts, the usual outcome of a spurious and cheap benevolence.

Notwithstanding ye give them not.--The "one of you" in the beginning of the verse, then, was representative of the whole body addressed by St. James; and now by his use of the plural "ye," we see that no individual was singled out for condemnation: the offence was wider and worse.

Verse 16. - Depart in peace (ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ); cf. Acts 16:36. This is something quite different from the fullness of our Lord's benediction, "Go into peace (ὕπαγε εἰς εἰρήνην)" (Mark 5:34; cf. Luke 7:50; Luke 8:48).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[If]
δέ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

one
τις (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

of
ἐξ (ex)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

you
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

tells
εἴπῃ (eipē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

him,
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

“Go
Ὑπάγετε (Hypagete)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 5217: To go away, depart, begone, die. From hupo and ago; to lead under, i.e. Withdraw or retire, literally or figuratively.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

peace;
εἰρήνῃ (eirēnē)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1515: Probably from a primary verb eiro; peace; by implication, prosperity.

stay warm
θερμαίνεσθε (thermainesthe)
Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2328: To warm; mid: I warm myself. From therme; to heat.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

well fed,”
χορτάζεσθε (chortazesthe)
Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 5526: To feed, satisfy, fatten. From chortos; to fodder, i.e. to gorge.

but
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

{does} not
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

provide for
δῶτε (dōte)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1325: To offer, give; I put, place. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give.

[his]
τὰ (ta)
Article - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

physical
σώματος (sōmatos)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 4983: Body, flesh; the body of the Church. From sozo; the body, used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively.

needs,
ἐπιτήδεια (epitēdeia)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 2006: Necessary, suitable, fit. From epitedes; serviceable, i.e. requisite.

what
τί (ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

good [ is that ]?
ὄφελος (ophelos)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3786: Advantage, gain, profit, help. From ophello; gain.


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NT Letters: James 2:16 And one of you tells them Go (Ja Jas. Jam)
James 2:15
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