James 1:19-27 God's Word Remember this, my dear brothers and sisters: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and should not get angry easily. (20) An angry person doesn't do what God approves of. (21) So get rid of all immoral behavior and all the wicked things you do. Humbly accept the word that God has placed in you. This word can save you. (22) Do what God's word says. Don't merely listen to it, or you will fool yourselves. (23) If someone listens to God's word but doesn't do what it says, he is like a person who looks at his face in a mirror, (24) studies his features, goes away, and immediately forgets what he looks like. (25) However, the person who continues to study God's perfect teachings that make people free and who remains committed to them will be blessed (and happy). People like that don't merely listen and forget; they actually do what God's teachings say. (26) If a person thinks that he is religious but can't control his tongue, he is fooling himself. That person's religion is worthless. (27) Pure, unstained religion, according to God our Father, is to take care of orphans and widows when they suffer and to remain uncorrupted by this world.

James 1:19-27 Good News Bible Remember this, my dear friends! Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry. (20) Human anger does not achieve God's righteous purpose. (21) So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you. (22) Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice. (23) If you listen to the word, but do not put it into practice you are like people who look in a mirror and see themselves as they are. (24) They take a good look at themselves and then go away and at once forget what they look like. (25) But if you look closely into the perfect law that sets people free, and keep on paying attention to it and do not simply listen and then forget it, but put it into practice---you will be blessed by God in what you do. (26) Do any of you think you are religious? If you do not control your tongue, your religion is worthless and you deceive yourself. (27) What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world.

James 1:19-27 Analytical Literal Translation So then, my beloved brothers [and sisters], let every person be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, (20) for [the] anger of a man does not produce the righteousness of God. (21) For this reason, you yourselves having put aside all filthiness [fig., moral uncleanness] and abundance of evil, in humility receive the implanted word [within you], which is able to save your souls. (22) Now continue becoming doers of [the] word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (23) Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one has been likened to a man observing his natural face in a mirror, (24) for he observed himself and has gone away, and immediately he forgot what kind of [person] he was. (25) But the one having looked into [the] perfect law, the [law] of liberty, and having continued [in it], this one—not having become a forgetful hearer but a doer of work—this one will be happy in his doing. (26) If anyone thinks to be religious among you, [and yet] does not bridle [fig., control] his tongue but deceives his heart [fig., inner self, and throughout book], the religion of this one [is] useless. (27) Pure and undefiled religion before [our] God and Father is this: to be caring for orphans and widows in their affliction [and] to be keeping oneself unspotted [fig., uncorrupted] by the world.

James 1:19-27 Young's Literal Translation (19) So then, my brethren beloved, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, (20) for the wrath of a man the righteousness of God doth not work; (21) wherefore having put aside all filthiness and superabundance of evil, in meekness be receiving the engrafted word, that is able to save your souls; (22) and become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves, (23) because, if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one hath been like to a man viewing his natural face in a mirror, (24) for he did view himself, and hath gone away, and immediately he did forget of what kind he was; (25) and he who did look into the perfect law--that of liberty, and did continue there, this one--not a forgetful hearer becoming, but a doer of work--this one shall be happy in his doing. (26) If any one doth think to be religious among you, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, of this one vain is the religion; (27) religion pure and undefiled with the God and Father is this, to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation--unspotted to keep himself from the world.

James 1:19-27 Bible in Basic English (19) You have knowledge of this, dear brothers. But let every man be quick in hearing, slow in words, slow to get angry; (20) For the righteousness of God does not come about by the wrath of man. (21) For this reason, putting away all dirty behaviour and the overweight of evil, take into your souls without pride the word which, being planted there, is able to give you salvation. (22) But be doers of the word, and not only hearers of it, blinding yourselves with false ideas. (23) Because if any man is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a glass; (24) For after looking at himself he goes away, and in a short time he has no memory of what he was like. (25) But he who goes on looking into the true law which makes him free, being not a hearer without memory but a doer putting it into effect, this man will have a blessing on his acts. (26) If a man seems to have religion and has no control over his tongue but lets himself be tricked by what is false, this man's religion is of no value. (27) The religion which is holy and free from evil in the eyes of our God and Father is this: to take care of children who have no fathers and of widows who are in trouble, and to keep oneself untouched by the world.

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