James 1:17–27

¹⁷Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.^{p 18}By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.^q

HEARING AND DOING THE WORD

¹⁹My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,^{r 20}for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. ²¹Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent,^E humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.^s

²²But^t be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face^A in a mirror. ²⁴For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. ²⁵But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does.^u

²⁶If anyone^B thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue,^v his religion is useless and he deceives himself. ²⁷Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows^w in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.^x