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21 Therefore, put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.(A)

22 Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.(B) 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. 24 He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. 25 But the one who peers into the perfect law[a] of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 1:25 Peers into the perfect law: the image of a person doing this is paralleled to that of hearing God’s word. The perfect law applies the Old Testament description of the Mosaic law to the gospel of Jesus Christ that brings freedom.

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[a] 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.

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Footnotes

  1. James 1:23 Gk at the face of his birth

21 Therefore, with humility, set aside all moral filth and the growth of wickedness, and welcome the word planted deep inside you—the very word that is able to save you.

22 You must be doers of the word and not only hearers who mislead themselves. 23 Those who hear but don’t do the word are like those who look at their faces in a mirror. 24 They look at themselves, walk away, and immediately forget what they were like. 25 But there are those who study the perfect law, the law of freedom, and continue to do it. They don’t listen and then forget, but they put it into practice in their lives. They will be blessed in whatever they do.

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21 Therefore, (A)ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all [a]that remains of wickedness, in [b]humility receive (B)the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 (C)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 [c]natural face (D)in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, [d]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, (E)the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but [e]an active doer, this person will be (F)blessed in [f]what he does.

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Footnotes

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

21 Therefore, get rid of(A) all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you,(B) which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.(C) 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,(D) and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.(E)

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