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James 1:19-26
English Standard Version
James 1:19-26
English Standard Version
Hearing and Doing the Word
19 (A)Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person (B)be quick to hear, (C)slow to speak, (D)slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore (E)put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with (F)meekness the implanted word, (G)which is able to save your souls.
22 But be (H)doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, (I)the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, (J)he will be blessed in his doing.
26 If anyone thinks he is religious (K)and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's (L)religion is worthless.
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James 1:19-26
New King James Version
James 1:19-26
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.
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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 1:19-26
New American Standard Bible
James 1:19-26
New American Standard Bible
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.
26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not [h](L)bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless.
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- James 1:19 Or Know this
- James 1:21 Lit abundance of malice
- James 1:21 Or gentleness
- James 1:23 Lit the face of his birth; or nature
- James 1:24 Lit and he
- James 1:25 Lit a doer of a work
- James 1:25 Lit his doing
- James 1:26 Or control
James 1:19-26
New International Version
James 1:19-26
New International Version
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)
26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues(I) deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.