James 1:18

1:18 By his sovereign plan he gave us birth ¹  through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

James 1:21

1:21 So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly ²  welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls.

James 1:23

1:23 For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone ³  who gazes at his own face ⁴  in a mirror.

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¹ tn Grk “Having willed, he gave us birth.”

² tn Or “with meekness.”

³ tn The word for “man” or “individual” is ἀνήρ (anhr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” However, as BDAG 79 s.v. 2 says, here it is “equivalent to τὶς someone, a person.”

⁴ tn Grk “the face of his beginning [or origin].”