Focused Passage

James 4:13-17

Worldliness, Humility, and Life Under God’s Will

James moves from exposing quarrels as the fruit of disordered desires, to rebuking worldliness as spiritual adultery, to calling for humble repentance before God, to condemning slanderous judgment, and finally to warning against arrogant planning that forgets the Lord’s will.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.”

14 You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.”

16 As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil.

17 Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 13

Original words

Come Ἄγε G71 Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular now νῦν G3568 Adverb you who οἱ G3588 Article - Vocative Masculine Plural say λέγοντες G3004 Verb - Present Participle Active - Vocative Masculine Plural Today Σήμερον G4594 Adverb or G2228 Conjunction tomorrow αὔριον G839 Adverb we will go πορευσόμεθα G4198 Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 1st Person Plural to εἰς G1519 Preposition this or that τήνδε G3592 Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Feminine Singular - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular city πόλιν G4172 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular - καὶ G2532 Conjunction spend ποιήσομεν G4160 Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural a year ἐνιαυτὸν G1763 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular there ἐκεῖ G1563 Adverb - καὶ G2532 Conjunction carry on business ἐμπορευσόμεθα G1710 Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 1st Person Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction make a profit κερδήσομεν G2770 Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Verse 14

Original words

You οἵτινες G3748 Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural do not even know ἐπίστασθε G1987 Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural . . . οὐκ G3756 Adverb what [will happen] τὸ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Singular vvv τῆς G3588 Article - Genitive Feminine Singular tomorrow αὔριον G839 Adverb What [is] ποία G4169 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular your ὑμῶν G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural - G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular life ζωὴ G2222 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular - γάρ G1063 Conjunction You are ἐστε G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural a mist ἀτμὶς G822 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular vvv πρὸς G4314 Preposition vvv G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular that appears φαινομένη G5316 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Feminine Singular for a little [while] ὀλίγον G3641 Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction then ἔπειτα G1899 Adverb vanishes ἀφανιζομένη G853 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 15

Original words

Instead Ἀντὶ G473 Preposition you [ought] ὑμᾶς G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural - τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Neuter Singular to say λέγειν G3004 Verb - Present Infinitive Active If Ἐὰν G1437 Conjunction the G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Lord Κύριος G2962 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular is willing θελήσῃ G2309 Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular - καὶ G2532 Conjunction we will live ζήσομεν G2198 Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction do ποιήσομεν G4160 Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural this τοῦτο G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular or G2228 Conjunction that ἐκεῖνο G1565 Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Verse 16

Original words

vvv δὲ G1161 Conjunction As it is νῦν G3568 Adverb you boast καυχᾶσθε G2744 Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural in ἐν G1722 Preposition your ὑμῶν G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural - ταῖς G3588 Article - Dative Feminine Plural proud intentions ἀλαζονείαις* G212 Noun - Dative Feminine Plural All πᾶσα G3956 Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular such τοιαύτη G5108 Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular boasting καύχησις G2746 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular is ἐστιν G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular evil πονηρά G4190 Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 17

Original words

Anyone αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular then οὖν G3767 Conjunction who knows εἰδότι G1492 Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Dative Masculine Singular [the] right thing καλὸν G2570 Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular to do ποιεῖν G4160 Verb - Present Infinitive Active yet καὶ G2532 Conjunction fails μὴ G3361 Adverb to do [it] ποιοῦντι G4160 Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine Singular is ἐστιν G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular guilty of sin ἁμαρτία G266 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.