19 [a](A)You know this, (B)my beloved brothers and sisters. Now everyone must be quick to hear, (C)slow to speak, and (D)slow to anger; 20 for a man’s (E)anger does not bring about the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, (F)ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all [b]that remains of wickedness, in [c]humility receive (G)the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 (H)But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his [d]natural face (I)in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, [e]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, (J)the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but [f]an active doer, this person will be (K)blessed in [g]what he does.

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Footnotes

  1. James 1:19 Or Know this
  2. James 1:21 Lit abundance of malice
  3. James 1:21 Or gentleness
  4. James 1:23 Lit the face of his birth; or nature
  5. James 1:24 Lit and he
  6. James 1:25 Lit a doer of a work
  7. James 1:25 Lit his doing

Listening and Doing

19 My dear brothers and sisters,(A) take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak(B) and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger(C) does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of(D) all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you,(E) which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.(F) 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom,(G) and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.(H)

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