²³ You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by your transgression of the law?

The Jews and the Law

¹⁷ But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God^(A)

¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it commits sin.^(A)

⁴ They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;^(A)

² Much, in every way. For in the first place, the Jews^[a] were entrusted with the oracles of God.^(A)

⁴⁵ Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope.^(A)

²² But be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.^{(A) 23} For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves^[a] in a mirror;^{(B) 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.^(C)

²⁶ If any think they are religious and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.^{(D) 27} Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.^(E)

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

¹¹ The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

²⁶ He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” ²⁷ He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.”^{(A) 28} And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”^(B)

²⁹ But wanting to vindicate himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”^(C)