ΙΑΚΩΒΟΥ 1:18-27
SBL Greek New Testament
18 βουληθεὶς ἀπεκύησεν ἡμᾶς λόγῳ ἀληθείας, εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἀπαρχήν τινα τῶν αὐτοῦ κτισμάτων.
19 [a]Ἴστε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί. ἔστω [b]δὲ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ταχὺς εἰς τὸ ἀκοῦσαι, βραδὺς εἰς τὸ λαλῆσαι, βραδὺς εἰς ὀργήν, 20 ὀργὴ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς δικαιοσύνην θεοῦ [c]οὐκ ἐργάζεται. 21 διὸ ἀποθέμενοι πᾶσαν ῥυπαρίαν καὶ περισσείαν κακίας ἐν πραΰτητι δέξασθε τὸν ἔμφυτον λόγον τὸν δυνάμενον σῶσαι τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν.
22 Γίνεσθε δὲ ποιηταὶ λόγου καὶ μὴ [d]ἀκροαταὶ μόνον παραλογιζόμενοι ἑαυτούς. 23 ὅτι εἴ τις ἀκροατὴς λόγου ἐστὶν καὶ οὐ ποιητής, οὗτος ἔοικεν ἀνδρὶ κατανοοῦντι τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ, 24 κατενόησεν γὰρ ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀπελήλυθεν καὶ εὐθέως ἐπελάθετο ὁποῖος ἦν. 25 ὁ δὲ παρακύψας εἰς νόμον τέλειον τὸν τῆς ἐλευθερίας καὶ παραμείνας, [e]οὐκ ἀκροατὴς ἐπιλησμονῆς γενόμενος ἀλλὰ ποιητὴς ἔργου, οὗτος μακάριος ἐν τῇ ποιήσει αὐτοῦ ἔσται.
26 Εἴ τις δοκεῖ θρησκὸς [f]εἶναι μὴ χαλιναγωγῶν γλῶσσαν [g]αὐτοῦ ἀλλὰ ἀπατῶν καρδίαν [h]αὐτοῦ, τούτου μάταιος ἡ θρησκεία. 27 θρησκεία καθαρὰ καὶ ἀμίαντος παρὰ [i]τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρὶ αὕτη ἐστίν, ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανοὺς καὶ χήρας ἐν τῇ θλίψει αὐτῶν, ἄσπιλον ἑαυτὸν τηρεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ κόσμου.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- ΙΑΚΩΒΟΥ 1:19 Ἴστε WH Treg NIV ] Ὥστε RP
- ΙΑΚΩΒΟΥ 1:19 δὲ WH Treg NIV ] – RP
- ΙΑΚΩΒΟΥ 1:20 οὐκ ἐργάζεται WH Treg NIV ] οὐ κατεργάζεται RP
- ΙΑΚΩΒΟΥ 1:22 ἀκροαταὶ μόνον WH Treg ] μόνον ἀκροαταὶ NIV RP
- ΙΑΚΩΒΟΥ 1:25 οὐκ WH Treg NIV] οὗτος οὐκ RP
- ΙΑΚΩΒΟΥ 1:26 εἶναι WH Treg NIV ] + ἐν ὑμῖν RP
- ΙΑΚΩΒΟΥ 1:26 αὐτοῦ Treg NIV RP ] ἑαυτοῦ WH
- ΙΑΚΩΒΟΥ 1:26 αὐτοῦ Treg NIV RP ] ἑαυτοῦ WH
- ΙΑΚΩΒΟΥ 1:27 τῷ WH Treg NIV ] – RP
James 1:18-27
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
18 In fulfilment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
Hearing and Doing the Word
19 You must understand this, my beloved:[a] let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. 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.
22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. 23 For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves[b] in a mirror; 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.
26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 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.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- James 1:19 Gk my beloved brothers
- James 1:23 Gk at the face of his birth
James 1:18-27
New English Translation
18 By his sovereign plan he gave us birth[a] through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Living Out the Message
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters![b] Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. 20 For human[c] anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.[d] 21 So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly[e] welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. 23 For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone[f] who gazes at his own face[g] in a mirror. 24 For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets[h] what sort of person he was. 25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there,[i] and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out—he[j] will be blessed in what he does.[k] 26 If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before[l] God the Father[m] is this: to care for orphans and widows in their adversity[n] and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- James 1:18 tn Grk “Having willed, he gave us birth.”
- James 1:19 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
- James 1:20 tn The word translated “human” here is ἀνήρ (anēr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” But it sometimes is used generically to mean “anyone,” “a person” (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 2), and in this context, contrasted with “God’s righteousness,” the point is “human” anger (not exclusively “male” anger).
- James 1:20 sn God’s righteousness could refer to (1) God’s righteous standard, (2) the righteousness God gives, (3) righteousness before God, or (4) God’s eschatological righteousness (see P. H. Davids, James [NIGTC], 93, for discussion).
- James 1:21 tn Or “with meekness.”
- James 1:23 tn The word for “man” or “individual” is ἀνήρ (anēr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” However, as BDAG 79 s.v. 2 says, here it is “equivalent to τὶς someone, a person.”
- James 1:23 tn Grk “the face of his beginning [or origin].”
- James 1:24 tn Grk “and he has gone out and immediately has forgotten.”
- James 1:25 tn Grk “continues.”
- James 1:25 tn Grk “this one.”
- James 1:25 tn Grk “in his doing.”
- James 1:27 tn Or “in the sight of”; Grk “with.”
- James 1:27 tn Grk “the God and Father.”
- James 1:27 tn Traditionally, “affliction.” BDAG 457 s.v. 1 has “difficult circumstances” for this specific context, but since this is somewhat lengthy, “adversity” was preferred instead.
James 1:18-27
New Living Translation
18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.[a]
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[b] does not produce the righteousness[c] 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.
Read full chapter
James 1:18-27
Good News Translation
18 By his own will he brought us into being through the word of truth, so that we should have first place among all his creatures.
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.
Read full chapterScripture quotations marked SBLGNT are from the The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com 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.
