22 (A)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 [a]natural face (B)in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, [b]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, (C)the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but [c]an active doer, this person will be (D)blessed in [d]what he does.

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Footnotes

  1. James 1:23 Lit the face of his birth; or nature
  2. James 1:24 Lit and he
  3. James 1:25 Lit a doer of a work
  4. James 1:25 Lit his doing

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[a] who gazes at his own face[b] in a mirror. 24 For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets[c] what sort of person he was. 25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there,[d] and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out—he[e] will be blessed in what he does.[f]

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Footnotes

  1. 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.”
  2. James 1:23 tn Grk “the face of his beginning [or origin].”
  3. James 1:24 tn Grk “and he has gone out and immediately has forgotten.”
  4. James 1:25 tn Grk “continues.”
  5. James 1:25 tn Grk “this one.”
  6. James 1:25 tn Grk “in his doing.”