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OET (OET-LV) For/Because rose the sun with its scorching_heat, and withered the grass, and the flower of_it fell_from, and the beauty of_the appearance of_it perished.
Thus also the rich man among the pursuits of_him will_be_being_faded_away.
OET (OET-RV) When the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass, the flowers will drop and lose all their beauty. So too for rich people who’ll fade away right in the middle of all their projects.
The theme of this section is that it is important for Christians to continue to trust God when going through various kinds of trials or difficulties. These trials are a test of their faith (1:2–4). They need God’s wisdom in order to remain faithful to him, and so they should pray for wisdom (1:5). When they come to God in prayer, they should have an attitude of firm trust in him (1:6–8). Both poverty and wealth test a Christian. They should trust God whether rich or poor and learn to think about poverty and wealth as God does (1:9–11).
Some other possible headings for this section are:
Have faith and wisdom
When you have trials/tests, you must trust God
Be joyful when your faith is tested
Even if a Christian has a low position in society, he can rejoice. He can rejoice because, in God’s opinion, he is in a high position. Similarly, a Christian who is rich should have God’s opinion about himself. Although rich people are generally given high status because of their riches, rich Christians should rather value a low position and humble attitude. They should remember that our lives on earth are short and that riches will not last.
The theme of section 1:2–11 is that Christians should continue to trust God/Jesus when they have various kinds of tests/trials. Poverty is a kind of trial. It is also the result of the trial of being persecuted. Riches too may be a kind of test of faith. They test whether the Christian will trust God or his money. And for rich Christians who had lost wealth and status because of their faith in Christ, they should think of this in a positive way.
For the sun rises with scorching heat
The sun rises with its terrible/great heat
As the sun rises and becomes very hot,
For: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as For introduces a more detailed explanation of what was said in 1:10b. Do not translate this verse as if it were the reason for 1:10b. It further explains 1:10b, but it is not a reason. Some English versions do not translate this conjunction.
the sun rises with scorching heat: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as scorching heat refers to heat that is so great that it causes plants to die.
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
The sun rises with burning heat (NCV)
the sun becomes high and scorches
the sun becomes hot and burns
and withers the plant;
and dries up the plant.
it wilts/shrivels the plants and kills them.
and withers: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as withers means “dries up.” In Israel, the rainy period ends early in the year. After that, there are no more clouds, and the sun is so hot that flowers dry up and die quickly.
Some other ways to translate this word are:
causes to dry up
causes to die
kills
the plant: The Greek word that the BSB translates as plant may refer to any plant with flowers on it.
its flower falls
The blossom/flower falls to the ground,
Then their flowers fall/drop off,
its flower: The word flower refers to the flower of the plant.
falls: The Greek word that the BSB translates as falls refers to when a flower “drops” or “falls off” its stem to the ground. For example:
The flowers drop off (GW)
the plants lose their blossoms
and its beauty is lost.
and its beauty is gone.
and they are no longer beautiful.
its beauty is lost: The phrase its beauty is lost means that “the plant’s beauty is gone.”
In some languages, it is not possible to talk about something abstract like beauty being lost. If that is true in your language, you may be able to use an adjective form and say:
It is no longer beautiful at all.
what was lovely to look at is lost for ever (REB)
is lost: This is a passive verb. It is the heat of the sun that destroys the beauty of the flowers. So there are at least two ways to translate this:
Use a passive verb. For example:
is destroyed (NASB)
Use an active verb. For example:
the heat destroys its beauty
the sun causes it to lose its beauty
Use an intransitive verb. For example:
its beauty is gone (NCV)
its beauty fades away (NLT)
James was talking about wild flowers in general, not one specific blossom or plant. So in some languages, it may be natural to use plural forms. For example:
10b–11bRich people will disappear like wild flowers scorched by the burning heat of the sun. 11cThe flowers lose their blossoms, 11dand their beauty is destroyed. (CEV)
So too, the rich man will fade away
In the same way, a rich brother/believer will also come to the end of his life
The same thing will happen to rich people. They will die
So too: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as So too introduces an explanation of how rich people will fade away like flowers.
Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
So also (NET)
The same thing will happen to (GW)
the rich man: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates here as the rich man is the same as the phrase translated “the one who is rich” in 1:10a. There it referred to the rich brother/believer. James was probably still thinking of the rich brother/believer, but what he says is true of all rich people. You can translate this either as “rich brother/believer” or as “rich man/person.”
This phrase does not refer to one specific rich man. It refers to all rich people. To make this clear, it may be best to translate this with a plural. For example:
rich people (GW)
will fade away: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as will fade away refers to a plant withering and dying. James used this verb to show how rich people will fade away like wild flowers. They will die and lose all the things that made people admire them, just as a flower loses its beauty when it dies. After that, people do not pay attention to them any longer.
If it is not natural in your language to talk about a person “fading,” you can say:
will die (NCV)
will end up being nothing
in the midst of his pursuits.
while he is busy working.
as they are earning money.
in the midst of his pursuits: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as in the midst of his pursuits here means, “while he is doing his normal activities.” James was probably thinking of the rich man’s daily business activities such as trading.
Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
while they are still taking care of business (NCV)
while he is busy working
while he is earning money
In some languages, it will be more natural to change the order of some of the clauses in this verse. For example:
11eIt will be the same with the rich person also. 11fWhile he is busy at his work, 11ehe will die.
Note 1 topic: translate-tense
ἀνέτειλεν γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος σὺν τῷ καύσωνι, καὶ ἐξήρανεν τὸν χόρτον, καὶ τὸ ἄνθος αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεσεν, καὶ ἡ εὐπρέπεια τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἀπώλετο
rose (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀνέτειλεν Γάρ ὁ ἥλιος σύν τῷ καύσωνι καί ἐξήρανεν τόν χόρτον καί τό ἄνθος αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεσεν καί ἡ εὐπρέπεια τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἀπώλετο Οὕτως καί ὁ πλούσιος ἐν ταῖς πορείαις αὐτοῦ μαρανθήσεται)
Here James is giving an illustration in the past tense as if he were telling the story of something that had happened. (See the discussion of this in Part 3 of the Introduction to James.) If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this sentence with the present tense. Alternate translation: [For the sun rises with heat and dries up the grass, and its flower falls off and the beauty of its face perishes]
Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result
γὰρ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀνέτειλεν Γάρ ὁ ἥλιος σύν τῷ καύσωνι καί ἐξήρανεν τόν χόρτον καί τό ἄνθος αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεσεν καί ἡ εὐπρέπεια τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἀπώλετο Οὕτως καί ὁ πλούσιος ἐν ταῖς πορείαις αὐτοῦ μαρανθήσεται)
James uses For to introduce the reason for the result he implicitly described in the previous verse. Alternate translation: [This is because]
σὺν τῷ καύσωνι
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀνέτειλεν Γάρ ὁ ἥλιος σύν τῷ καύσωνι καί ἐξήρανεν τόν χόρτον καί τό ἄνθος αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεσεν καί ἡ εὐπρέπεια τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἀπώλετο Οὕτως καί ὁ πλούσιος ἐν ταῖς πορείαις αὐτοῦ μαρανθήσεται)
Here, heat could mean one of two things. (1) It could refer to intense, withering heat. Alternate translation: [and radiated withering heat] or, if you are using the present tense, [and radiates withering heat] (2) It could refer to a hot wind that occurs in full sunlight. Alternate translation: [and caused a hot wind] or, if you are using the present tense, [and causes a hot wind]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
ἡ εὐπρέπεια τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἀπώλετο
the beauty ˱of˲_the appearance ˱of˲_it perished
If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun beauty with an adjective such as “beautiful.” Alternate translation: [it no longer had a beautiful appearance]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἡ εὐπρέπεια τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἀπώλετο
the beauty ˱of˲_the appearance ˱of˲_it perished
James speaks of the wild flower as if it had a face. Alternate translation: [it no longer had a beautiful appearance]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἡ εὐπρέπεια τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἀπώλετο
the beauty ˱of˲_the appearance ˱of˲_it perished
James speaks of the flower’s beauty as if it perished or died. Alternate translation: [it no longer had a beautiful appearance]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / simile
οὕτως καὶ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀνέτειλεν Γάρ ὁ ἥλιος σύν τῷ καύσωνι καί ἐξήρανεν τόν χόρτον καί τό ἄνθος αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεσεν καί ἡ εὐπρέπεια τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἀπώλετο Οὕτως καί ὁ πλούσιος ἐν ταῖς πορείαις αὐτοῦ μαρανθήσεται)
James uses the words Thus also to introduce a simile or comparison between a rich person and a fading flower. Alternate translation: [In the same way] or [Likewise]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj
ὁ πλούσιος
the the rich_‹man›
James is using the adjective rich as a noun in order to indicate a type of person. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this with an equivalent expression. Alternate translation: [a person who is rich]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
μαρανθήσεται
˓will_be_being˒_faded_away
James speaks of the rich person as if he were a flower that would wither. James means that this person will “die,” as UST indicates.
Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἐν ταῖς πορείαις αὐτοῦ
among the pursuits ˱of˲_him
James speaks of a rich person’s activities as if they were a journey that he was taking. This metaphor implies that he is giving no thought to his coming death and that it will take him by surprise. Alternate translation: [in the midst of his activities]
1:9-11 Poverty and wealth are a recurring theme (cp. ch 2; 4:13–5:11). James does not promise material wealth to the righteous poor but announces a future reversal in heaven.
OET (OET-LV) For/Because rose the sun with its scorching_heat, and withered the grass, and the flower of_it fell_from, and the beauty of_the appearance of_it perished.
Thus also the rich man among the pursuits of_him will_be_being_faded_away.
OET (OET-RV) When the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass, the flowers will drop and lose all their beauty. So too for rich people who’ll fade away right in the middle of all their projects.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.
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