Yakobus 2:1

Prejudice and the Law of Love

2:1 My brothers and sisters, ¹  do not show prejudice ²  if you possess faith ³  in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴ 

Yakobus 2:11

2:11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” ⁵  also said, “Do not murder.” ⁶  Now if you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a violator of the law.

Yakobus 2:16

2:16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, ⁷  what good is it?

Yakobus 3:1-2

The Power of the Tongue

3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, ⁸  because you know that we will be judged more strictly. ⁹  3:2 For we all stumble ¹⁰  in many ways. If someone does not stumble ¹¹  in what he says, ¹²  he is a perfect individual, ¹³  able to control the entire body as well.

Yakobus 4:12

4:12 But there is only one who is lawgiver and judge – the one who is able to save and destroy. On the other hand, who are you to judge your neighbor? ¹⁴ 

Yakobus 4:14

4:14 You ¹⁵  do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? ¹⁶  For you are a puff of smoke ¹⁷  that appears for a short time and then vanishes.

Yakobus 5:3

5:3 Your gold and silver have rusted and their rust will be a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have hoarded treasure! ¹⁸ 

Yakobus 5:5

5:5 You have lived indulgently and luxuriously on the earth. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. ¹⁹ 

[2:1]  ¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[2:1]  ² tn Or “partiality.”

[2:1]  ³ tn Grk “do not have faith with personal prejudice,” with emphasis on the last phrase.

[2:1]  ⁴ tn Grk “our Lord Jesus Christ of glory.” Here δόξης (doxhs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[2:11]  ⁵ sn A quotation from Exod 20:14 and Deut 5:18.

[2:11]  ⁶ sn A quotation from Exod 20:13 and Deut 5:17.

[2:16]  ⁷ tn Grk “what is necessary for the body.”

[3:1]  ⁸ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[3:1]  ⁹ tn Grk “will receive a greater judgment.”

[3:2]  ¹⁰ tn Or “fail.”

[3:2]  ¹¹ tn Or “fail.”

[3:2]  ¹² tn Grk “in speech.”

[3:2]  ¹³ tn The word for “man” or “individual” is ἀνήρ (anhr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” But it sometimes is used generically to mean “anyone,” “a person,” as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 2).

[4:12]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “who judges your neighbor.”

[4:14]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “who” (continuing the description of the people of v. 13). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[4:14]  ¹⁶ tn Or “you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.”

[4:14]  ¹⁷ tn Or “a vapor.” The Greek word ἀτμίς (atmis) denotes a swirl of smoke arising from a fire (cf. Gen 19:28; Lev 16:13; Joel 2:30 [Acts 2:19]; Ezek 8:11).

[5:3]  ¹⁸ tn Or “hoarded up treasure for the last days”; Grk “in the last days.”

[5:5]  ¹⁹ sn James’ point seems to be that instead of seeking deliverance from condemnation, they have defied God’s law (fattened your hearts) and made themselves more likely objects of his judgment (in a day of slaughter).