James 4:13-17
New English Translation
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that town[a] and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” 14 You[b] do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like?[c] For you are a puff of smoke[d] that appears for a short time and then vanishes. 15 You ought to say instead,[e] “If the Lord is willing, then we will live and do this or that.” 16 But as it is,[f] you boast about your arrogant plans.[g] All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows what is good to do[h] and does not do it is guilty of sin.[i]
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- James 4:13 tn Or “city.”
- James 4:14 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.
- James 4:14 tn Or “you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.”
- James 4:14 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).
- James 4:15 tn Grk “instead of your saying.”
- James 4:16 tn Grk “but now.”
- James 4:16 tn Or “you boast in your arrogance.” The translation in the text is based on two points: (1) The verb καυχάομαι (kauchaomai, “boast”) often uses the preposition ἐν (en) to indicate the focus of the boast (see BDAG 536 s.v. 1). (2) ἀλαζονεία (alazoneia, “arrogance”) here is plural and likely refers to the specific plans mentioned in v. 13.
- James 4:17 tn Or “knows how to do what is good.”
- James 4:17 tn Grk “to him it is sin.”
James 4:13-17
Legacy Standard Bible
Life Is a Vapor
13 (A)Come now, you who say, “(B)Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 [a]Yet you do not know [b]what your life will be like tomorrow. (C)You are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 [c]Instead, you ought to say, “(D)If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your [d]arrogance. (E)All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, (F)to one who knows to do the [e]right thing and does not do it, to him it is sin.
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- James 4:14 Lit Who do not
- James 4:14 Or what will happen tomorrow. What kind of life is yours?
- James 4:15 Lit Instead of your saying
- James 4:16 Or pretensions
- James 4:17 Or good
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