James 2:3-5

2:3 do you pay attention to the one who is finely dressed and say, ¹  “You sit here in a good place,” ²  and to the poor person, “You stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor”? ³  2:4 If so, have you not made distinctions ⁴  among yourselves and become judges with evil motives? ⁵  2:5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! ⁶  Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?

¹ tn Grk “and you pay attention…and say,” continuing the “if” clauses from v. 2. In the Greek text, vv. 2-4 form one long sentence.

² tn Or “sit here, please.”

³ tn Grk “sit under my footstool.” The words “on the floor” have been supplied in the translation to clarify for the modern reader the undesirability of this seating arrangement (so also TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). Another option followed by a number of translations is to replace “under my footstool” with “at my feet” (NAB, NIV, NRSV).

⁴ tn Grk “have you not made distinctions” (as the conclusion to the series of “if” clauses in vv. 2-3).

⁵ tn Grk “judges of evil reasonings.”

⁶ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.