James 1:17

1:17 All generous giving and every perfect gift¹ is from above, coming down² from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change.³

James 1:21

1:21 So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly⁴ welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls.

James 1:23

1:23 For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone⁵ who gazes at his own face⁶ in a mirror.

James 2:11

2:11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,”⁷ also said, “Do not murder.”⁸ Now if you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a violator of the law.

James 3:2-3

3:2 For we all stumble⁹ in many ways. If someone does not stumble¹⁰ in what he says,¹¹ he is a perfect individual,¹² able to control the entire body as well. 3:3 And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies.¹³

James 3:17

3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating,¹⁴ full of mercy and good fruit,¹⁵ impartial, and not hypocritical.¹⁶

James 4:1

Passions and Pride

4:1 Where do the conflicts and where¹⁷ do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this,¹⁸ from your passions that battle inside you?¹⁹

James 4:14

4:14 You²⁰ do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like?²¹ For you are a puff of smoke²² that appears for a short time and then vanishes.

James 5:14

5:14 Is anyone among you ill? He should summon the elders of the church, and they should pray for him and anoint²³ him with oil in the name of the Lord.

James 5:16

5:16 So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.²⁴

James 5:20

5:20 he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path²⁵ will save that person’s²⁶ soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

¹tn The first phrase refers to the action of giving and the second to what is given.

²tn Or “All generous giving and every perfect gift from above is coming down.”

³tn Grk “variation or shadow of turning” (referring to the motions of heavenly bodies causing variations of light and darkness).

⁴tn Or “with meekness.”

⁷tn The word for “man” or “individual” is ἀνήρ (anhr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” However, as BDAG 79 s.v. 2 says, here it is “equivalent to τὶς someone, a person.”

⁸tn Grk “the face of his beginning [or origin].”

¹⁰sn A quotation from Exod 20:14 and Deut 5:18.

¹¹sn A quotation from Exod 20:13 and Deut 5:17.

¹³tn Or “fail.”

¹⁴tn Or “fail.”

¹⁵tn Grk “in speech.”

¹⁶tn 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).

¹⁶tn Grk “their entire body.”

¹⁹tn Or “willing to yield,” “open to persuasion.”

²⁰tn Grk “fruits.” The plural Greek term καρπούς has been translated with the collective singular “fruit.”

²¹tn Or “sincere.”

²²tn The word “where” is repeated in Greek for emphasis.

²³tn Grk “from here.”

²⁴tn Grk “in your members [i.e., parts of the body].”

²⁵tn 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.

²⁶tn Or “you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.”

²⁷tn 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).

²⁸tn Grk “anointing.”

³¹tn Or “the fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful”; Grk “is very powerful in its working.”

³⁴tn Grk “from the error of his way” (using the same root as the verb “to wander, to err” in the first part of the verse).

³⁵tn Grk “his soul”; the referent (the sinner mentioned at the beginning of the verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.