Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options Listen to James 1:19-2:13
Close NASB

James 1:19-2:13
New American Standard Bible

19 [a](A)You know this, (B)my beloved brothers and sisters. Now everyone must be quick to hear, (C)slow to speak, and (D)slow to anger; 20 for a man’s (E)anger does not bring about the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, (F)ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all [b]that remains of wickedness, in [c]humility receive (G)the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 (H)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 [d]natural face (I)in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, [e]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, (J)the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but [f]an active doer, this person will be (K)blessed in [g]what he does.

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not [h](L)bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion (M)in the sight of our God and Father is this: to (N)visit (O)orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained [i]by (P)the world.

The Sin of Partiality

2 (Q)My brothers and sisters, (R)do not hold your faith in our (S)glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of (T)personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your [j]assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in (U)bright clothes, and a poor man in (V)dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and you [k]pay special attention to the one who is wearing the (W)bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges (X)with evil [l]motives? 5 Listen, (Y)my beloved brothers and sisters: did (Z)God not choose the poor [m]of this world to be (AA)rich in faith and (AB)heirs of the kingdom which He (AC)promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and [n]personally (AD)drag you into [o]court? 7 (AE)Do they not blaspheme the good name [p]by which you have been called?

8 If, however, you (AF)are fulfilling the [q]royal law according to the Scripture, “(AG)You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you (AH)show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as violators. 10 For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet (AI)stumbles in one point, has become (AJ)guilty of all. 11 For He who said, “(AK)Do not commit adultery,” also said, “(AL)Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do murder, you have become a violator of the Law. 12 So speak, and so act, as those who are to be judged by (AM)the law of freedom. 13 For (AN)judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy [r]triumphs over judgment.

Footnotes

  1. James 1:19 Or Know this
  2. James 1:21 Lit abundance of malice
  3. James 1:21 Or gentleness
  4. James 1:23 Lit the face of his birth; or nature
  5. James 1:24 Lit and he
  6. James 1:25 Lit a doer of a work
  7. James 1:25 Lit his doing
  8. James 1:26 Or control
  9. James 1:27 Lit from
  10. James 2:2 Or synagogue
  11. James 2:3 Lit look at
  12. James 2:4 Lit reasonings
  13. James 2:5 Lit to the
  14. James 2:6 Lit they themselves
  15. James 2:6 Lit courts
  16. James 2:7 Lit which has been called upon you
  17. James 2:8 Or law of our King
  18. James 2:13 Lit boasts against
Listen to James 1:19-2:13
Close NIV

James 1:19-2:13
New International Version

Listening and Doing

19 My dear brothers and sisters,(A) take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak(B) and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger(C) does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of(D) all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you,(E) which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.(F) 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,(G) and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.(H)

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues(I) deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after(J) orphans and widows(K) in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.(L)

Favoritism Forbidden

2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious(M) Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.(N) 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges(O) with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters:(P) Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world(Q) to be rich in faith(R) and to inherit the kingdom(S) he promised those who love him?(T) 6 But you have dishonored the poor.(U) Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?(V) 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a](W) you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism,(X) you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.(Y) 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles(Z) at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.(AA) 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b](AB) also said, “You shall not murder.”[c](AC) If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged(AD) by the law that gives freedom,(AE) 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.(AF) Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Footnotes

  1. James 2:8 Lev. 19:18
  2. James 2:11 Exodus 20:14; Deut. 5:18
  3. James 2:11 Exodus 20:13; Deut. 5:17
Next
Hebrews 13
James 3
Next
dropdown
New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible is made available by The Lockman Foundation
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.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV