Bible verse

James 1:26

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.

James 1:26 · BSB

James 1:26 in context

The verses around it, from James 1.

22 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

23 For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror,

24 and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.

26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.

27 Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Read all of James 1

James 1:26 in other translations

KJV

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion [is] vain.

ASV

If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this man’s religion is vain.

ERV

If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this man’s religion is vain.

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Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible, which is free of copyright restrictions for use on websites. Read the full Bible on Great Faith.