James 1:19-27

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Hearing and Doing the Word

¹⁹ My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger,^{(A) 20} for man’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. ²¹ Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and evil,^[a] humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save you.^[b](B)

²² But^(C) be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face^[c] in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵ But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works—this person will be blessed in what he does.^(D)

²⁶ If anyone^[d] thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue,^(E) then his religion is useless and he deceives himself. ²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion before our^[e] God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows^(F) in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.^(G)