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James 1:22-27
New American Standard Bible
James 1:22-27
New American Standard Bible
22 (A)But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his [a]natural face (B)in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, [b]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, (C)the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but [c]an active doer, this person will be (D)blessed in [d]what he does.
26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not [e](E)bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion (F)in the sight of our God and Father is this: to (G)visit (H)orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained [f]by (I)the world.
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- James 1:23 Lit the face of his birth; or nature
- James 1:24 Lit and he
- James 1:25 Lit a doer of a work
- James 1:25 Lit his doing
- James 1:26 Or control
- James 1:27 Lit from
James 1:22-27
English Standard Version
James 1:22-27
English Standard Version
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.
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James 1:22-27
New Living Translation
James 1:22-27
New Living Translation
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.
26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
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James 1:22-27
New International Version
James 1:22-27
New International Version
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.(A) 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom,(B) and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.(C)
26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues(D) deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after(E) orphans and widows(F) in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.(G)
James 1:22-27
The Message
James 1:22-27
The Message
22-24 Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.
25 But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.
26-27 Anyone who sets himself up as “religious” by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.
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New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson