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Saturday, July 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Myles Coverdale Bible

James 1:20

For the wrath of ma worketh not that which is righteous before God.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Anger;   Thompson Chain Reference - Man;   Man's;   Wrath;   Wrath-Anger;   The Topic Concordance - Salvation;   Wrath;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Anger;   Wrath;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - James, the General Epistle of;   Jonah;   Moses;   Holman Bible Dictionary - James, the Letter;   Righteousness;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Anger;   Mediation Mediator;   Righteousness;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - 34 Meekness Quietness;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Divide;   James, Epistle of;   Wrath (Anger);   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Anger;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for May 16;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.
King James Version (1611)
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God.
King James Version
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
English Standard Version
for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
New American Standard Bible
for a man's anger does not bring about the righteousness of God.
New Century Version
because anger will not help you live the right kind of life God wants.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
Berean Standard Bible
for man's anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.
Contemporary English Version
If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things that God wants done.
Complete Jewish Bible
for a person's anger does not accomplish God's righteousness!
Darby Translation
for man's wrath does not work God's righteousness.
Easy-to-Read Version
Anger does not help you live the way God wants.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For the wrath of man doeth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God.
George Lamsa Translation
For the wrath of man does not bring about the righteousness of God.
Good News Translation
Human anger does not achieve God's righteous purpose.
Lexham English Bible
for human anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God.
Literal Translation
For the wrath of man does not work out the righteousness of God.
Amplified Bible
for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behavior which He requires from us].
American Standard Version
for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Bible in Basic English
For the righteousness of God does not come about by the wrath of man.
Hebrew Names Version
for the anger of man doesn't produce the righteousness of God.
International Standard Version
For human anger does not produce God's righteousness.
Etheridge Translation
for the wrath of man the righteousness of Aloha worketh not.
Murdock Translation
for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For the wrath of man, worketh not that which is ryghteous before God.
English Revised Version
for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
World English Bible
for the anger of man doesn't produce the righteousness of God.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Weymouth's New Testament
For a man's anger does not lead to action which God regards as righteous.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
for the wraththe of man worchith not the riytwisnesse of God.
Update Bible Version
for the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God.
Webster's Bible Translation
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
New English Translation
For human anger does not accomplish God's righteousness.
New King James Version
for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
New Living Translation
Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
New Life Bible
A man's anger does not allow him to be right with God.
New Revised Standard
for your anger does not produce God's righteousness.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, man's anger, worketh not, God's righteousness.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God.
Revised Standard Version
for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For the wrath of man worketh not that which is ryghteous before God.
Young's Literal Translation
for the wrath of a man the righteousness of God doth not work;
Mace New Testament (1729)
for he that is not dispassionate is a stranger to the practice of true virtue.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Livin' and ridin' right don't include a quick fuse or sharp tongue.

Contextual Overview

19 Wherfore deare brethren, let euery man be swifte to heare, slowe to speake, and slowe to wrath. 20 For the wrath of ma worketh not that which is righteous before God. 21 Wherfore laye aparte all fylthines, all superfluite of maliciousnes, & receaue with meknes ye worde yt is grafted in you, which is able to saue youre soules. 22 And se that ye be doers of ye worde & not heares only, deceauinge youre awne selues. 23 For yf eny heare the worde, and do it not, he is like vnto a ma that beholdeth his bodily face in a glasse. 24 For assone as he hath loked on himselfe, he goeth his waye, and forgetteth immediatly what his fasshion was. 25 But who so loketh in ye perfect lawe of libertie, and continueth therin (yf he be not a forgetfull hearer, but a doar of the worke) the same shalbe happie in his dede. 26 Yf eny man amonge you seme deuoute, & refrayne not his toge: but deceaue his awne herte, this mannes deuocion is in vayne. 27 Pure deuocion and vndefiled before God the father, is this: to visit the frendlesse and widdowes in their aduersite, and to kepe him selfe vnspotted of the worlde.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

James 3:17, James 3:18, Numbers 20:11, Numbers 20:12, 2 Timothy 2:24, 2 Timothy 2:25

Reciprocal: Genesis 31:36 - was wroth Joshua 7:19 - My son Judges 8:2 - What 1 Samuel 20:30 - Saul's 1 Samuel 25:13 - Gird ye 2 Samuel 19:43 - the words 1 Kings 6:7 - neither hammer Psalms 37:8 - Cease Proverbs 15:18 - he Proverbs 17:19 - loveth Ecclesiastes 9:17 - General Joel 2:13 - slow Jonah 4:4 - Doest thou well to be angry Matthew 5:9 - are Mark 9:50 - have peace Luke 9:54 - wilt Philippians 2:14 - disputings Colossians 3:8 - anger Titus 1:7 - not soon Titus 3:2 - gentle Hebrews 11:25 - Choosing

Cross-References

Genesis 1:7
Then God made ye firmamet, and parted the waters vnder the firmamet, from the waters aboue the firmament: And so it came to passe.
Genesis 1:14
And God sayde: let there be lightes in ye firmament of heauen, to deuyde the daye fro the night, that they maye be vnto tokes, seasons, dayes, and yeares.
Genesis 1:22
and blessed them, sayenge: Growe, and multiplie, and fyll the waters of the sees, and let the foules multiplie vpon the earth.
Genesis 1:24
And God sayde: let ye earth brynge forth lyuynge soules, euery one after his kynde: catell, wormes & what as hath life vpon earth, euery one after his kynde. And so it came to passe.
Genesis 1:25
And God made ye beastes of the earth euery one after his kynde, and catell after their kynde, and all maner wormes of the earth after their kynde. And God sawe that it was good.
Genesis 1:30
And to all beastes of the earth, and to all foules vnder the heauen, and to euery worme that hath life (vpon earth) all maner grene herbes to eate. And so it came to passe.
Genesis 2:19
And whan God the LORDE had made of the earth all maner beastes of the felde, & all maner foules vnder the heaue, he brought them vnto man, to se what he wolde call the: For as ma called all maner of liuinge soules, so are their names.
Genesis 8:17
As for all the beastes that are with the, what so euer flesh it be (both foule & catell and all maner of wormes that crepe vpon the earth) let them go out with the, and be ye occupied vpon the earth, growe and multiplye vpon the earth.
1 Kings 4:33
And he spake of trees, from ye Ceder of Libanus vnto the Isope yt groweth out of ye wall: he talked also of catell, of foules, of wormes, of fishes.
Psalms 148:10
Beastes and all catell, wormes & fethered foules.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. This is so far from engaging persons to do that which is right and acceptable in the sight of God, that it puts them upon doing that which is evil. The Alexandrian copy reads, "with the wrath of men do not work the righteousness of God"; do not attend upon the word and ordinances of God with a wrathful spirit. Compare, with this, 1 Timothy 2:8.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God - Does not produce in the life that righteousness which God requires. Its tendency is not to incline us to keep the law, but to break it; not to induce us to embrace the truth, but the opposite. The meaning of this passage is not that our wrath will make God either more or less righteous; but that its tendency is not to produce that upright course of life, and love of truth, which God requires. A man is never sure of doing right under the influence of excited feelings; he may do that which is in the highest sense wrong, and which he will regret all his life. The particular meaning of this passage is, that wrath in the mind of man will not have any tendency to make him righteous. It is only that candid state of mind which will lead him to embrace the truth which can be hoped to have such an effect.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 20. The wrath of man — A furious zeal in matters of religion is detestable in the sight of God; he will have no sacrifice that is not consumed by fire from his own altar. The zeal that made the Papists persecute and burn the Protestants, was kindled in hell. This was the wrath of man, and did not work any righteous act for God; nor was it the means of working righteousness in others; the bad fruit of a bad tree. And do they still vindicate these cruelties? Yes: for still they maintain that no faith is to be kept with heretics, and they acknowledge the inquisition.


 
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