James 4:14-15

4:14 You ¹  do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? ²  For you are a puff of smoke ³  that appears for a short time and then vanishes. 4:15 You ought to say instead, ⁴  “If the Lord is willing, then we will live and do this or that.”

[4:14]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Or “you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.”

[4:14]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Grk “instead of your saying.”