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OET (OET-LV) Religion pure and undefiled before our god and father this is:
to_be_visiting orphans and widows in the tribulation of_them, spotless himself to_be_keeping from the world.
OET (OET-RV) A person who wants to truly serve our God and father with a pure heart would be visiting orphans and widows in their difficulties and staying unstained by worldly ideas.
In this section, James emphasized the importance of obeying the word of God. There are three paragraphs: 1:19–21, 1:22–25, and 1:26–27.
Some other possible headings for this section are:
Hearing and Doing the Word (ESV)
Christians must listen to God’s message and obey it (UBS)
In order to please God, a person must control his tongue, help others, and avoid sin.
Verse 1:26 is about the sort of behavior that is a wrong way of showing devotion to God. In 1:27, James explained how to do what really pleases God.
See the General Comment on 1:27a–c at the end of 1:27c for ways to reorder this verse.
Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this:
The religious practices that God our(incl) Father considers pure and faultless are
The worship of God that is pure and without fault in God our(incl) Father’s eyes is this:
Pious acts that God our(incl) Father considers completely pure/genuine are:
Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: This clause is literally “Religion pure and undefiled before God is this.”
Pure and undefiled: The two Greek words that the BSB translates as Pure and undefiled have the same general meaning: “without any fault.” In some languages, it may be more natural to find one word to translate both terms. If your language is like that, you should try and intensify that word to convey James’ emphasis here. For example:
completely pure
Pure: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Pure means “clean.” Here it is used in a figurative sense to mean “having no sin.” It has a very positive sense.
undefiled: The Greek word that the BSB translates as undefiled means “unpolluted” or “faultless.” It conveys a positive sense by saying “not anything is bad” about it.
Some other ways to translate this word are:
without fault (NCV)
genuine (GNT)
spotless (CEV)
without sin
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: (RSV)
What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: (GNT)
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means (NLT)
Religion that pleases God the Father must be pure and spotless. (CEV)
our God and Father: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as our God and Father is literally “the God and father.” The BSB has supplied the word our. Another way to translate this phrase is:
God the Father (GNT)
to care for orphans and widows in their distress,
to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering,
helping children who have no father and widows when they have problems/difficulties,
to care for orphans and widows: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as to look after literally means “to visit” (as in the RSV). In this context, it means “to take care of,” “to care for,” or “to help” orphans and widows. For example:
to take care of orphans and widows (GW)
we must care for orphans and widows (NLT96)
You must help…orphans and widows (CEV)
Use an expression that is natural in your language for caring for widows and orphans.
orphans: The Greek word that the BSB translates as orphans refers to children whose father had died. It also refers to children whose father and mother have died. If the word "orphan" in your language refers only to those who have lost both a mother and a father, then you may want to translate this word as:
the fatherless
in their distress: The phrase in their distress refers to both orphans and widows. It does not just refer to widows.
The word distress also means “affliction,” “suffering,” or “troubles.”
In Jewish society, orphans and widows were the people who needed help most frequently. James did not mean that all orphans and widows always suffer. So it may be natural to translate this phrase as:
when they suffer (GW)
who are suffering
and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
and to keep oneself uncontaminated by the world.
and not let this world make you evil. (CEV)
and not letting ourselves(incl) be influenced by behavior that is opposed to God.
and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world: The Greek word that the BSB translates as from being polluted is literally “unstained” (as in the RSV). This word also means “spotless” or “without blemish.” Here it is used in a spiritual sense. Just as we try to keep dirt from staining our clothing, so we should keep the world from having a negative effect on our lives.
Some other ways to translate this are:
and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world (GNT)
and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world (NJB)
and refusing to let the world corrupt you. (NLT)
and not let this world make you evil (CEV)
by the world: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as the world here refers to every person in the world who is opposed to God and who tempts God’s people to sin against him. God’s people become polluted by the world when they begin to act and think like the ungodly people of the world.
Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
those who are against God
behavior that is opposed to God
by the evil which is being done by God’s enemies
In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of the clauses in this verse. For example:
27bWhen you take care of widows and orphans in their distress, 27cand you keep yourself from being polluted by the world, 27athis is the type of religion that God considers to be pure and undefiled.
27aA person whose worship of God is completely genuine 27cavoids the evil behavior that people here on the earth do. 27bHe takes good care of orphans and widows who are in difficulty. 27aThis is the way which our Father God likes for us to worship him.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
θρησκεία καθαρὰ καὶ ἀμίαντος
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Θρησκεία καθαρά καί ἀμίαντος παρά τῷ Θεῷ καί Πατρί αὕτη ἐστίν ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανούς καί χήρας ἐν τῇ θλίψει αὐτῶν ἄσπιλον ἑαυτόν τηρεῖν ἀπό τοῦ κόσμου)
James is speaking of religion as if it could be physically Pure and undefiled. Alternate translation: [Religion that is pleasing and acceptable]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet
θρησκεία καθαρὰ καὶ ἀμίαντος
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Θρησκεία καθαρά καί ἀμίαντος παρά τῷ Θεῷ καί Πατρί αὕτη ἐστίν ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανούς καί χήρας ἐν τῇ θλίψει αὐτῶν ἄσπιλον ἑαυτόν τηρεῖν ἀπό τοῦ κόσμου)
The terms Pure and undefiled mean similar things. They both indicate that something is free of contamination. James is using these terms together for emphasis. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could combine them into a single phrase. Alternate translation: [Religion that is completely acceptable]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Θρησκεία καθαρά καί ἀμίαντος παρά τῷ Θεῷ καί Πατρί αὕτη ἐστίν ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανούς καί χήρας ἐν τῇ θλίψει αὐτῶν ἄσπιλον ἑαυτόν τηρεῖν ἀπό τοῦ κόσμου)
The word before means “in front of” or “in the presence of” another person, and in this case before him indicates “where God can see.” Seeing, for its part, represents attention and judgment. Alternate translation: [from God’s perspective]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / hendiadys
τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρί
our God (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Θρησκεία καθαρά καί ἀμίαντος παρά τῷ Θεῷ καί Πατρί αὕτη ἐστίν ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανούς καί χήρας ἐν τῇ θλίψει αὐτῶν ἄσπιλον ἑαυτόν τηρεῖν ἀπό τοῦ κόσμου)
James is not talking about two different people. He is expressing a single idea by using two nouns connected with and. The noun Father further identifies God. Alternate translation: [God the Father]
Note 5 topic: guidelines-sonofgodprinciples
Πατρί
Father
Father is an important title for God.
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανοὺς καὶ χήρας ἐν τῇ θλίψει αὐτῶν
˓to_be˒_visiting (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Θρησκεία καθαρά καί ἀμίαντος παρά τῷ Θεῷ καί Πατρί αὕτη ἐστίν ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανούς καί χήρας ἐν τῇ θλίψει αὐτῶν ἄσπιλον ἑαυτόν τηρεῖν ἀπό τοῦ κόσμου)
Here, look upon is an idiom that means “show concern for” or “help compassionately.” Alternate translation: [to help orphans and widows in their distress]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανοὺς καὶ χήρας ἐν τῇ θλίψει αὐτῶν
˓to_be˒_visiting (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Θρησκεία καθαρά καί ἀμίαντος παρά τῷ Θεῷ καί Πατρί αὕτη ἐστίν ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανούς καί χήρας ἐν τῇ θλίψει αὐτῶν ἄσπιλον ἑαυτόν τηρεῖν ἀπό τοῦ κόσμου)
James assumes that his readers will know that orphans and widows are in practical and financial distress because their fathers or husbands have died and so are no longer providing for them. In this culture, women and children were dependent on male relatives for support. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate explicitly what kind of distress James wants his readers to help relieve. Alternate translation: [to help poor orphans and widows with their practical needs]
Note 8 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
ἄσπιλον ἑαυτὸν τηρεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ κόσμου
spotless (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Θρησκεία καθαρά καί ἀμίαντος παρά τῷ Θεῷ καί Πατρί αὕτη ἐστίν ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανούς καί χήρας ἐν τῇ θλίψει αὐτῶν ἄσπιλον ἑαυτόν τηρεῖν ἀπό τοῦ κόσμου)
This is not a purpose or result clause. James is not telling his readers that they should help orphans and widows in order to stay unstained by the world or that this would be the result if they did help them. Rather, James is saying that this is a second thing that characterizes religion that pleases God. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could add the word “and” before this clause in order to clarify this.
Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
ἄσπιλον ἑαυτὸν τηρεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ κόσμου
spotless (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Θρησκεία καθαρά καί ἀμίαντος παρά τῷ Θεῷ καί Πατρί αὕτη ἐστίν ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανούς καί χήρας ἐν τῇ θλίψει αὐτῶν ἄσπιλον ἑαυτόν τηρεῖν ἀπό τοῦ κόσμου)
James is using the term world to mean the system of values shared by people who do not honor God, by association with the way those people live in the world. Alternate translation: [to keep oneself unstained by the value system of ungodly people]
Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἄσπιλον ἑαυτὸν τηρεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ κόσμου
spotless (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Θρησκεία καθαρά καί ἀμίαντος παρά τῷ Θεῷ καί Πατρί αὕτη ἐστίν ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανούς καί χήρας ἐν τῇ θλίψει αὐτῶν ἄσπιλον ἑαυτόν τηρεῖν ἀπό τοῦ κόσμου)
James is speaking of the influence of ungodly people as if it could physically stain a person. By unstained he actually means free from sin. Alternate translation: [not to allow ungodly people and their influence to cause oneself to sin]
1:12-27 James addresses the same three topics as in 1:2-11, adding a new dimension to each topic. External testing (1:2-4) becomes internal temptation (1:11-18); the need for wisdom (1:5-8) is related to controlling angry speech (1:19-21); and poverty/wealth relate to the need to act upon God’s word (1:22-25). The section then summarizes these themes (1:26-27).
OET (OET-LV) Religion pure and undefiled before our god and father this is:
to_be_visiting orphans and widows in the tribulation of_them, spotless himself to_be_keeping from the world.
OET (OET-RV) A person who wants to truly serve our God and father with a pure heart would be visiting orphans and widows in their difficulties and staying unstained by worldly ideas.
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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