James 1:19
New International Version
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

New Living Translation
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

English Standard Version
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

Berean Standard Bible
My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,

Berean Literal Bible
Know this, my beloved brothers. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow unto anger;

King James Bible
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

New King James Version
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

New American Standard Bible
You know this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Now everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;

NASB 1995
This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;

NASB 1977
This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;

Legacy Standard Bible
Know this, my beloved brothers. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;

Amplified Bible
Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving];

Christian Standard Bible
My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger,

American Standard Version
Ye know this, my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And you, my beloved brethren, everyone of you should be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.

Contemporary English Version
My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry.

Douay-Rheims Bible
You know, my dearest brethren. And let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to anger.

English Revised Version
Ye know this, my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Remember this, my dear brothers and sisters: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and should not get angry easily.

Good News Translation
Remember this, my dear friends! Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry.

International Standard Version
You must understand this, my dear brothers. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

Literal Standard Version
So then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

Majority Standard Bible
My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,

New American Bible
Know this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath,

NET Bible
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.

New Revised Standard Version
You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;

New Heart English Bible
This you know, my beloved brothers. But let every person be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;

Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

Weymouth New Testament
You know this, my dearly-loved brethren. But let every one be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to be angry.

World English Bible
So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;

Young's Literal Translation
So then, my brethren beloved, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Hearing and Doing
18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation. 19My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, 20for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.…

Cross References
Numbers 22:27
When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he became furious and beat her with his staff.

Proverbs 10:19
When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.

Proverbs 14:29
A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man promotes folly.

Proverbs 16:32
He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior, and he who controls his temper is greater than one who captures a city.

Proverbs 17:27
A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.

Proverbs 29:20
Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Ecclesiastes 7:9
Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.


Treasury of Scripture

Why, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

let.

Nehemiah 8:2,3,12-14,18
And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month…

Nehemiah 9:3
And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.

Proverbs 8:32-35
Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways…

slow to speak.

James 1:26
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.

James 3:1,2
My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation…

Proverbs 10:19
In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

slow to wrath.

Nehemiah 9:17
And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

Proverbs 14:17,29
He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated…

Proverbs 15:18
A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

Jump to Previous
Anger Angry Beloved Dear Dearly-Loved Hear Hearing Note Quick Slow Speak Swift Wherefore Words Wrath
Jump to Next
Anger Angry Beloved Dear Dearly-Loved Hear Hearing Note Quick Slow Speak Swift Wherefore Words Wrath
James 1
1. James greets the twelve tribes among the nations;
2. exhorts to rejoice in trials and temptations;
5. to ask patience of God;
13. and in our trials not to impute our weakness, or sins, to him,
19. but rather to hearken to the word, to meditate on it, and to do thereafter.
26. Otherwise men may seem, but never be, truly religious.














(19) We come now to the third subdivision of the chapter. By reason of the Divine benevolence, the Apostle urges his readers--(1) to meekness, (2) self-knowledge, (3) practical religion.

Wherefore, my beloved brethen.--There appears to be some small error in the MSS. here, but the alteration is only just worth mentioning: ye know my brethren beloved, seems the correct version, the very abruptness of which may serve to arrest attention. Yea, "have ye not known?" might well be asked further in the indignant language of Isaiah (Isaiah 40:21; comp. Romans 5:19).

Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.--For all these cautions are required in the building up of the new life. "The quick speaker is the quick kindler;" and we are told later on "how great a matter a little fire kindleth" (James 3:5). And what have we at all to do with wrath, much less that our whole life--as unhappily it often is--should be wasted with such bitterness? Anger, no doubt, is a wholesome tonic for some minds, and certain weaknesses; but "he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city" (Proverbs 16:32).

Verses 19-27. - EXHORTATION

(1) TO HEAR RATHER THAN TO SPEAK,

(2) NOT ONLY TO HEAR, BUT ALSO TO DO. Verse 19. - The text requires correction. For ὥστε... ἔστω πᾶς of the Textus Receptus, read, Ἴστε ἀδελφοί μοι ἀγαπητοι ἔστω δὲ πᾶς, א, A, B, C, Latt. Ἴστε is probably indicative, and refers to what has gone before. "Ye know this, my beloved brethren. But let every man," etc. The verse gives us St. James's version of the proverb, "Speech is silver. Silence is golden." Similar maxims were not infrequent among the Jews. So in Ecclus. 5:11, "Be swift to hear; and let thy life be sincere; and with patience give answer;" cf. 4:29, "Be not hasty in thy tongue, and in thy deeds slack and remiss." In the rabbinical work, 'Pirqe Aboth,' 1. 12, we have the following saying of Rabbi Simeon, the son of Gamaliel (who must, therefore, have been a contemporary of St. James): "All my days I have grown up amongst the wise, and have not found ought good for a man but silence; not learning but doing is the groundwork; and whoso multiplies words occasions sin." This passage is curiously like the one before us, both in the thoughts and in the expressions used.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
My
μου (mou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

beloved
ἀγαπητοί (agapētoi)
Adjective - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 27: From agapao; beloved.

brothers,
ἀδελφοί (adelphoi)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 80: A brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian. A brother near or remote.

understand this:
Ἴστε (Iste)
Verb - Perfect Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1492: To know, remember, appreciate.

Everyone
πᾶς (pas)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

should be
ἔστω (estō)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

quick
ταχὺς (tachys)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5036: Quick, swift, speedy, ready, prompt. Of uncertain affinity; fleet, i.e. prompt or ready.

to
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

listen,
ἀκοῦσαι (akousai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

slow
βραδὺς (bradys)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1021: Slow, slow of understanding. Of uncertain affinity; slow; figuratively, dull.

to
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

speak,
λαλῆσαι (lalēsai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 2980: A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words.

[and] slow
βραδὺς (bradys)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1021: Slow, slow of understanding. Of uncertain affinity; slow; figuratively, dull.

to
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

anger,
ὀργήν (orgēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3709: From oregomai; properly, desire, i.e., violent passion (justifiable) abhorrence); by implication punishment.


Links
James 1:19 NIV
James 1:19 NLT
James 1:19 ESV
James 1:19 NASB
James 1:19 KJV

James 1:19 BibleApps.com
James 1:19 Biblia Paralela
James 1:19 Chinese Bible
James 1:19 French Bible
James 1:19 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: James 1:19 So then my beloved brothers let every (Ja Jas. Jam)
James 1:18
Top of Page
Top of Page