en_tn/jas/01/26.md

thinks himself to be religious

"thinks he worships God correctly"

control his tongue

"tongue" is a metonym. AT: "what he says." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy)

he deceives

"fools" or "tricks" or "misleads"

his heart

Here "heart" is a synecdoche meaning the whole person. AT: "himself." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche)

his religion is vain

"his worship is worthless"

Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this

AT: "This is the kind of religion that God will accept"

Pure and undefiled

James expresses the same idea both positively and negatively to emphasize what true religion is like. AT: "Completely pure." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet)

the fatherless

"those who do not have a father" or "the orphans"

widows in their affliction

the women who are suffering because their husbands have died

to protect oneself the world's corruption

To not allow the evil in the world to cause you to sin.