²³ You who ^(A)boast in the law ^(B)dishonor God by breaking the law.

¹⁷ But if you call yourself a Jew and ^(A)rely on the law and boast in God

¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. ^(A)All such boasting is evil. ^17 (B)So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

⁴ They are ^(A)Israelites, and to them belong ^(B)the adoption, ^(C)the glory, ^(D)the covenants, ^(E)the giving of the law, ^(F)the worship, and ^(G)the promises.

² Much in every way. To begin with, ^(A)the Jews were entrusted with ^(B)the oracles of God.

⁴⁵ Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, ^(A)on whom you have set your hope.

²² But be ^(A)doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. ²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law, ^(B)the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, ^(C)he will be blessed in his doing.

²⁶ If anyone thinks he is religious ^(D)and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's ^(E)religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: ^(F)to visit ^(G)orphans and widows in their affliction, and ^(H)to keep oneself ^(I)unstained from the world.

²⁸ And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but ^(A)we are disciples of Moses. ²⁹ We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, ^(B)we do not know where he comes from.”

¹¹ The Pharisee, ^(A)standing by himself, prayed^{[a] (B)}thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.