James 1:17–27

¹⁷Every good thing given and every perfect gift is ^afrom above, coming down from ^bthe Father of lights, ^cwith whom there is no variation or ¹shifting shadow.

¹⁸In the exercise of ^aHis will He ^bbrought us forth by ^cthe word of truth, so that we would be ¹a kind of ^dfirst fruits ²among His creatures.

¹⁹¹This ^ayou know, ^bmy beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, ^cslow to speak and ^dslow to anger;

²⁰for ^athe anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

²¹Therefore, ^aputting aside all filthiness and all ¹that remains of wickedness, in ²humility receive ^bthe word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

^22aBut prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

²³For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his ¹natural face ^ain a mirror;

²⁴for once he has looked at himself and gone away, ¹he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

²⁵But one who looks intently at the perfect law, ^athe law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but ¹an effectual doer, this man will be ^bblessed in ²what he does.

²⁶If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not ^1abridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

²⁷Pure and undefiled religion ^ain the sight of our God and Father is this: to ^bvisit ^corphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained ¹by ^dthe world.