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Now the believer[a] of humble means[b] should take pride[c] in his high position.[d] 10 But the rich person’s pride should be in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a wildflower in the meadow.[e] 11 For the sun rises with its heat and dries up the meadow; the petal of the flower falls off and its beauty is lost forever.[f] So also the rich person in the midst of his pursuits will wither away.

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Footnotes

  1. James 1:9 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).
  2. James 1:9 tn Grk “the lowly brother,” but “lowly/humble” is clarified in context by the contrast with “wealthy” in v. 10.
  3. James 1:9 tn Grk “let him boast.”
  4. James 1:9 tn Grk “his height,” “his exaltation.”
  5. James 1:10 tn Grk “a flower of grass.”
  6. James 1:11 tn Or “perishes,” “is destroyed.”

Brothers and sisters who are poor should find satisfaction in their high status. 10 Those who are wealthy should find satisfaction in their low status, because they will die off like wildflowers. 11 The sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass so that its flowers fall and its beauty is lost. Just like that, in the midst of their daily lives, the wealthy will waste away.

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