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

13Come 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.”

14You 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.

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

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

17Anyone, 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

ComeἌγεG71Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person SingularnowνῦνG3568Adverbyou whoοἱG3588Article - Vocative Masculine PluralsayλέγοντεςG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Vocative Masculine PluralTodayΣήμερονG4594AdverborG2228ConjunctiontomorrowαὔριονG839Adverbwe will goπορευσόμεθαG4198Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 1st Person PluraltoεἰςG1519Prepositionthis or thatτήνδεG3592Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Feminine Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularcityπόλινG4172Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionspendποιήσομενG4160Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Plurala yearἐνιαυτὸνG1763Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularthereἐκεῖG1563Adverb-καὶG2532Conjunctioncarry on businessἐμπορευσόμεθαG1710Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 1st Person PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunctionmake a profitκερδήσομενG2770Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Verse 14

Original words

YouοἵτινεςG3748Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Pluraldo not even knowἐπίστασθεG1987Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural. . .οὐκG3756Adverbwhat [will happen]τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularvvvτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingulartomorrowαὔριονG839AdverbWhat [is]ποίαG4169Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Feminine SingularyourὑμῶνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularlifeζωὴG2222Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular-γάρG1063ConjunctionYou areἐστεG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plurala mistἀτμὶςG822Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularvvvπρὸςG4314PrepositionvvvG3588Article - Nominative Feminine Singularthat appearsφαινομένηG5316Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Feminine Singularfor a little [while]ὀλίγονG3641Adjective - Accusative Neuter SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionthenἔπειταG1899AdverbvanishesἀφανιζομένηG853Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 15

Original words

InsteadἈντὶG473Prepositionyou [ought]ὑμᾶςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Singularto sayλέγεινG3004Verb - Present Infinitive ActiveIfἘὰνG1437ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularLordΚύριοςG2962Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularis willingθελήσῃG2309Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular-καὶG2532Conjunctionwe will liveζήσομενG2198Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctiondoποιήσομενG4160Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralthisτοῦτοG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter SingularorG2228ConjunctionthatἐκεῖνοG1565Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Verse 16

Original words

vvvδὲG1161ConjunctionAs it isνῦνG3568Adverbyou boastκαυχᾶσθεG2744Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person PluralinἐνG1722PrepositionyourὑμῶνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural-ταῖςG3588Article - Dative Feminine Pluralproud intentionsἀλαζονείαις*G212Noun - Dative Feminine PluralAllπᾶσαG3956Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingularsuchτοιαύτηG5108Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine SingularboastingκαύχησιςG2746Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularevilπονηράG4190Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 17

Original words

AnyoneαὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person SingularthenοὖνG3767Conjunctionwho knowsεἰδότιG1492Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Dative Masculine Singular[the] right thingκαλὸνG2570Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singularto doποιεῖνG4160Verb - Present Infinitive ActiveyetκαὶG2532ConjunctionfailsμὴG3361Adverbto do [it]ποιοῦντιG4160Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularguilty of sinἁμαρτίαG266Noun - 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.