James 1:19-27
New King James Version
Qualities Needed in Trials
19 [a]So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, (A)slow to speak, (B)slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Doers—Not Hearers Only
21 Therefore (C)lay aside all filthiness and [b]overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, (D)which is able to save your souls.
22 But (E)be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For (F)if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But (G)he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, (H)this one will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone [c]among you thinks he is religious, and (I)does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27 (J)Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: (K)to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, (L)and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
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- James 1:19 NU Know this or This you know
- James 1:21 abundance
- James 1:26 NU omits among you
James 1:19-27
New Living Translation
Listening and Doing
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger[a] does not produce the righteousness[b] God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.
22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
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James 1:19-27
Good News Translation
Hearing and Doing
19 (A)Remember this, my dear friends! Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry. 20 Human anger does not achieve God's righteous purpose. 21 So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you.
22 Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice. 23 If you listen to the word, but do not put it into practice you are like people who look in a mirror and see themselves as they are. 24 They take a good look at themselves and then go away and at once forget what they look like. 25 But if you look closely into the perfect law that sets people free, and keep on paying attention to it and do not simply listen and then forget it, but put it into practice—you will be blessed by God in what you do.
26 Do any of you think you are religious? If you do not control your tongue, your religion is worthless and you deceive yourself. 27 What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world.
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James 1:19-27
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Hearing and Doing the Word
19 You must understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger,(A) 20 for human anger does not produce God’s righteousness.[a] 21 Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.(B)
22 But be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.(C) 23 For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves[b] in a mirror;(D) 24 for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. 25 But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.(E)
26 If any think they are religious and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.(F) 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.(G)
Read full chapterScripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.