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22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

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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.”