16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 pEvery good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, qwith whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18 rOf His own will He brought us forth by the sword of truth, tthat we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Qualities Needed in Trials

19 3So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, uslow to speak, vslow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Doers—Not Hearers Only

21 Therefore wlay aside all filthiness and 4overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, xwhich is able to save your souls.

22 But ybe doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For zif anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But ahe who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, bthis one will be blessed in what he does.

26 If anyone 5among you thinks he is religious, and cdoes not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27 dPure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: eto visit orphans and widows in their trouble, fand to keep oneself unspotted from the world.