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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.”

22 But be doers of the message and not hearers only,[a] deceiving yourselves, 23 because if anyone is a hearer of the message and not a doer, this one is like someone[b] staring at his own face[c] in a mirror, 24 for he looks at himself and goes away and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues to do it, not being a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts, this one will be blessed in what he does[d].

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Footnotes

  1. James 1:22 Some manuscripts have “not only hearers”
  2. James 1:23 Literally “a man,” but clearly in a generic sense here meaning “someone, a person”
  3. James 1:23 Literally “the face of his existence”
  4. James 1:25 Literally “in his doing”