Yakobus 1:2-7

Joy in Trials

1:2 My brothers and sisters, ¹  consider it nothing but joy ²  when you fall into all sorts of trials, 1:3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 1:4 And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything. 1:5 But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him. 1:6 But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind. 1:7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,

Yakobus 1:9-10

1:9 Now the believer ³  of humble means ⁴  should take pride ⁵  in his high position. ⁶  1:10 But the rich person’s pride should be in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a wildflower in the meadow. ⁷ 

Yakobus 1:16

1:16 Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters. ⁸ 

Yakobus 1:19

Living Out the Message

1:19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! ⁹  Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.

Yakobus 1:21-22

1:21 So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly ¹⁰  welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls. 1:22 But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves.

Yakobus 2:1-9

Prejudice and the Law of Love

2:1 My brothers and sisters, ¹¹  do not show prejudice ¹²  if you possess faith ¹³  in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁴  2:2 For if someone ¹⁵  comes into your assembly ¹⁶  wearing a gold ring and fine clothing, and a poor person enters in filthy clothes, 2:3 do you pay attention to the one who is finely dressed and say, ¹⁷  “You sit here in a good place,” ¹⁸  and to the poor person, “You stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor”? ¹⁹  2:4 If so, have you not made distinctions ²⁰  among yourselves and become judges with evil motives? ²¹  2:5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! ²²  Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? 2:6 But you have dishonored the poor! ²³  Are not the rich oppressing you and dragging you into the courts? 2:7 Do they not blaspheme the good name of the one you belong to? ²⁴  2:8 But if you fulfill the royal law as expressed in this scripture, ²⁵  “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” ²⁶  you are doing well. 2:9 But if you show prejudice, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as violators. ²⁷ 

Yakobus 2:12-22

2:12 Speak and act as those who will be judged by a law that gives freedom. ²⁸  2:13 For judgment is merciless for the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over ²⁹  judgment.

Faith and Works Together

2:14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, ³⁰  if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith ³¹  save him? ³²  2:15 If a brother or sister ³³  is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 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, ³⁴  what good is it? 2:17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” ³⁵  Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by ³⁶  my works. 2:19 You believe that God is one; well and good. ³⁷  Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear. ³⁸ 

2:20 But would you like evidence, ³⁹  you empty fellow, ⁴⁰  that faith without works is useless? ⁴¹  2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 2:22 You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works.

Yakobus 2:24

2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Yakobus 3:1

The Power of the Tongue

3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, ⁴²  because you know that we will be judged more strictly. ⁴³ 

Yakobus 3:10

3:10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. ⁴⁴ 

Yakobus 3:12-14

3:12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, ⁴⁵  or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water.

True Wisdom

3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings. ⁴⁶  3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth.

Yakobus 4:1-4

Passions and Pride

4:1 Where do the conflicts and where ⁴⁷  do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, ⁴⁸  from your passions that battle inside you? ⁴⁹  4:2 You desire and you do not have; you murder and envy and you cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask; 4:3 you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.

4:4 Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? ⁵⁰  So whoever decides to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy.

Yakobus 4:7-10

4:7 So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. 4:8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double-minded. ⁵¹  4:9 Grieve, mourn, ⁵²  and weep. Turn your laughter ⁵³  into mourning and your joy into despair. 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.

Yakobus 4:1-17

Passions and Pride

4:1 Where do the conflicts and where ⁵⁴  do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, ⁵⁵  from your passions that battle inside you? ⁵⁶  4:2 You desire and you do not have; you murder and envy and you cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask; 4:3 you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.

4:4 Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? ⁵⁷  So whoever decides to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy. 4:5 Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, ⁵⁸  “The spirit that God ⁵⁹  caused ⁶⁰  to live within us has an envious yearning”? ⁶¹  4:6 But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” ⁶²  4:7 So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. 4:8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double-minded. ⁶³  4:9 Grieve, mourn, ⁶⁴  and weep. Turn your laughter ⁶⁵  into mourning and your joy into despair. 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.

4:11 Do not speak against one another, brothers and sisters. ⁶⁶  He who speaks against a fellow believer ⁶⁷  or judges a fellow believer speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but its judge. ⁶⁸  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? ⁶⁹ 

4:13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that town ⁷⁰  and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” 4:14 You ⁷¹  do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? ⁷²  For you are a puff of smoke ⁷³  that appears for a short time and then vanishes. 4:15 You ought to say instead, ⁷⁴  “If the Lord is willing, then we will live and do this or that.” 4:16 But as it is, ⁷⁵  you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 4:17 So whoever knows what is good to do ⁷⁶  and does not do it is guilty of sin. ⁷⁷ 

[1:2]  ¹ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). Where the plural term is used in direct address, as here, “brothers and sisters” is used; where the term is singular and not direct address (as in v. 9), “believer” is preferred.

[1:2]  ² tn Grk “all joy,” “full joy,” or “greatest joy.”

[1:9]  ³ tn Grk “brother.” Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. TEV, NLT “Christians”; CEV “God’s people”). The term broadly connotes familial relationships within the family of God (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a).

[1:9]  ⁴ tn Grk “the lowly brother,” but “lowly/humble” is clarified in context by the contrast with “wealthy” in v. 10.

[1:9]  ⁵ tn Grk “let him boast.”

[1:9]  ⁶ tn Grk “his height,” “his exaltation.”

[1:10]  ⁷ tn Grk “a flower of grass.”

[1:16]  ⁸ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[1:19]  ⁹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[1:21]  ¹⁰ tn Or “with meekness.”

[2:1]  ¹¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[2:1]  ¹² tn Or “partiality.”

[2:1]  ¹³ tn Grk “do not have faith with personal prejudice,” with emphasis on the last phrase.

[2:1]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “our Lord Jesus Christ of glory.” Here δόξης (doxhs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[2:2]  ¹⁵ tn The word for “man” or “individual” here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” But as BDAG 79 s.v. 2 says, “equivalent to τὶς someone.”

[2:2]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “synagogue.” Usually συναγωγή refers to Jewish places of worship (e.g., Matt 4:23, Mark 1:21, Luke 4:15, John 6:59). The word can be used generally to refer to a place of assembly, and here it refers specifically to a Christian assembly (BDAG 963 s.v. 2.b.).

[2:3]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “and you pay attention…and say,” continuing the “if” clauses from v. 2. In the Greek text, vv. 2-4 form one long sentence.

[2:3]  ¹⁸ tn Or “sit here, please.”

[2:3]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “sit under my footstool.” The words “on the floor” have been supplied in the translation to clarify for the modern reader the undesirability of this seating arrangement (so also TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). Another option followed by a number of translations is to replace “under my footstool” with “at my feet” (NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[2:4]  ²⁰ tn Grk “have you not made distinctions” (as the conclusion to the series of “if” clauses in vv. 2-3).

[2:4]  ²¹ tn Grk “judges of evil reasonings.”

[2:5]  ²² tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[2:6]  ²³ tn This is singular: “the poor person,” perhaps referring to the hypothetical one described in vv. 2-3.

[2:7]  ²⁴ tn Grk “that was invoked over you,” referring to their baptism in which they confessed their faith in Christ and were pronounced to be his own. To have the Lord’s name “named over them” is OT imagery for the Lord’s ownership of his people (cf. 2 Chr 7:14; Amos 9:12; Isa 63:19; Jer 14:9; 15:16; Dan 9:19; Acts 15:17).

[2:8]  ²⁵ tn Grk “according to the scripture.”

[2:8]  ²⁶ sn A quotation from Lev 19:18 (also quoted in Matt 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Rom 13:9; Gal 5:14).

[2:9]  ²⁷ tn Or “transgressors.”

[2:12]  ²⁸ tn Grk “a law of freedom.”

[2:13]  ²⁹ tn Grk “boasts against, exults over,” in victory.

[2:14]  ³⁰ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[2:14]  ³¹ tn Grk “the faith,” referring to the kind of faith just described: faith without works. The article here is anaphoric, referring to the previous mention of the noun πίστις (pisti") in the verse. See ExSyn 219.

[2:14]  ³² sn The form of the question in Greek expects a negative answer.

[2:15]  ³³ tn It is important to note that the words ἀδελφός (adelfos) and ἀδελφή (adelfh) both occur in the Greek text at this point, confirming that the author intended to refer to both men and women. See the note on “someone” in 2:2.

[2:16]  ³⁴ tn Grk “what is necessary for the body.”

[2:18]  ³⁵ tn There is considerable doubt about where the words of the “someone” end and where James’ reply begins. Some see the quotation running to the end of v. 18; others to the end of v. 19. But most punctuate as shown above. The “someone” is then an objector, and the sense of his words is something like, “Some have faith; others have works; don’t expect everyone to have both.” James’ reply is that faith cannot exist or be seen without works.

[2:18]  ³⁶ tn Or “from.”

[2:19]  ³⁷ tn Grk “you do well.”

[2:19]  ³⁸ tn Grk “believe and tremble.” The words “with fear” are implied.

[2:20]  ³⁹ tn Grk “do you want to know.”

[2:20]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “O empty man.” Here the singular vocative ἄνθρωπε (anqrwpe, “man”) means “person” or even “fellow.” Cf. BDAG 82 s.v. ἄνθρωπος 8 which views this as an instance of rhetorical address in a letter; the pejorative sense is also discussed under the previous heading (7).

[2:20]  ⁴¹ tc Most witnesses, including several important ones (א A C² P Ψ 33 Ï sy bo), have νεκρά (nekra, “dead”) here, while Ì⁷⁴ reads κενή (kenh, “empty”). Both variants are most likely secondary, derived from ἀργή (argh, “useless”). The reading of the majority is probably an assimilation to the statements in vv. 17 and 26, while Ì⁷⁴’s reading picks up on κενέ (kene) earlier in the verse. The external evidence (B C* 323 945 1739 sa) for ἀργή is sufficient for authenticity; coupled with the strong internal evidence for the reading (if νεκρά were original, how would ἀργή have arisen here and not in vv. 17 or 26?), it is strongly preferred.

[3:1]  ⁴² tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[3:1]  ⁴³ tn Grk “will receive a greater judgment.”

[3:10]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[3:12]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[3:13]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “works in the gentleness of wisdom.”

[4:1]  ⁴⁷ tn The word “where” is repeated in Greek for emphasis.

[4:1]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “from here.”

[4:1]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “in your members [i.e., parts of the body].”

[4:4]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “is hostility toward God.”

[4:8]  ⁵¹ tn Or “two-minded” (the same description used in 1:8).

[4:9]  ⁵² tn This term and the following one are preceded by καί (kai) in the Greek text, but contemporary English generally uses connectives only between the last two items in such a series.

[4:9]  ⁵³ tn Grk “let your laughter be turned.”

[4:1]  ⁵⁴ tn The word “where” is repeated in Greek for emphasis.

[4:1]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “from here.”

[4:1]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “in your members [i.e., parts of the body].”

[4:4]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “is hostility toward God.”

[4:5]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “vainly says.”

[4:5]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:5]  ⁶⁰ tc The Byzantine text and a few other mss (P 33 Ï) have the intransitive κατῴκησεν (katwkhsen) here, which turns τὸ πνεῦμα (to pneuma) into the subject of the verb: “The spirit which lives within us.” But the more reliable and older witnesses (Ì⁷⁴ א B Ψ 049 1241 1739 al) have the causative verb, κατῴκισεν (katwkisen), which implies a different subject and τὸ πνεῦμα as the object: “The spirit that he causes to live within us.” Both because of the absence of an explicit subject and the relative scarcity of the causative κατοικίζω (katoikizw, “cause to dwell”) compared to the intransitive κατοικέω (katoikew, “live, dwell”) in biblical Greek (κατοικίζω does not occur in the NT at all, and occurs one twelfth as frequently as κατοικέω in the LXX), it is easy to see why scribes would replace κατῴκισεν with κατῴκησεν. Thus, on internal and external grounds, κατῴκισεν is the preferred reading.

[4:5]  ⁶¹ tn Interpreters debate the referent of the word “spirit” in this verse: (1) The translation takes “spirit” to be the lustful capacity within people that produces a divided mind (1:8, 14) and inward conflicts regarding God (4:1-4). God has allowed it to be in man since the fall, and he provides his grace (v. 6) and the new birth through the gospel message (1:18-25) to counteract its evil effects. (2) On the other hand the word “spirit” may be taken positively as the Holy Spirit and the sense would be, “God yearns jealously for the Spirit he caused to live within us.” But the word for “envious” or “jealous” is generally negative in biblical usage and the context before and after seems to favor the negative interpretation.

[4:5]  sn No OT verse is worded exactly this way. This is either a statement about the general teaching of scripture or a quotation from an ancient translation of the Hebrew text that no longer exists today.

[4:6]  ⁶² sn A quotation from Prov 3:34.

[4:8]  ⁶³ tn Or “two-minded” (the same description used in 1:8).

[4:9]  ⁶⁴ tn This term and the following one are preceded by καί (kai) in the Greek text, but contemporary English generally uses connectives only between the last two items in such a series.

[4:9]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “let your laughter be turned.”

[4:11]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[4:11]  ⁶⁷ tn See note on the word “believer” in 1:9.

[4:11]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “a judge.”

[4:12]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “who judges your neighbor.”

[4:13]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “city.”

[4:14]  ⁷¹ 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]  ⁷² tn Or “you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.”

[4:14]  ⁷³ 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).

[4:15]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “instead of your saying.”

[4:16]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “but now.”

[4:17]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “knows how to do what is good.”

[4:17]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “to him it is sin.”