¹³ For ^(A)it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

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.

⁷ Little children, ^(A)let no one deceive you. ^(B)Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

^21 (A)Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that ^(B)faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed ^(C)by his works; ²³ and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ^(D)“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a ^(E)friend of God. ²⁴ You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ And in the same way was not also ^(F)Rahab the prostitute justified by works ^(G)when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

²⁵ For circumcision indeed is of value ^(A)if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.

¹⁶ yet we know that ^(A)a person is not justified^[a] by works of the law ^(B)but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, ^(C)because by works of the law no one will be justified.

The Message of Salvation to All

⁵ For ^(A)Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that ^(B)the person who does the commandments shall live by them.

²¹ But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those ^(A)who hear the word of God and do it.”

²⁹ If you know that ^(A)he is righteous, you may be sure that ^(B)everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.