YAC 1:14 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

UST But people want to do evil because of their own desires. When they do, it is just as if they had fallen into a trap.

AICNT But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

OEB A man is in every case tempted by their own passions – allured and enticed by them.

WEBBE But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires.

LSV but each one is tempted, being led away and enticed by his own desires;

FBV Temptations come from our own evil desires that lead us astray and entrap us.

TCNT But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires.

T4T But people strongly desire to do evil [PRS] things, and as a result they are tempted by those desires {those desires stimulate them} to do something evil [PRS, DOU].

LEB But each one is tempted when he[fn] is dragged away and enticed by his own desires.

1:14 *Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is dragged away”) which is understood as temporal

BBE But every man is tested when he is turned out of the right way by the attraction of his desire.

Moff Everyone is tempted as he is beguiled and allured by his own desire;

Wymth But when a man is tempted, it is his own passions that carry him away and serve as a bait.

ASV but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

DRA But every man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured.

YLT and each one is tempted, by his own desires being led away and enticed,

Drby But every one is tempted, drawn away, and enticed by his own lust;

RV but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

SLT And each is tempted from his own lust, being drawn out, and decoyed.

Wbstr But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

KJB-1769 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

KJB-1611 But euery man is tempted, when hee is drawen away of his owne lust, and entised.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps But euery man is tempted, when he is drawen away, & entised of his owne concupiscence.
(But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away, and enticed of his own concupiscence.)

Gnva But euery man is tempted, when hee is drawen away by his owne concupiscence, and is entised.
(But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own concupiscence, and is enticed. )

Cvdl But euery ma is tepted, drawne awaye, & entysed of his awne cocupiscece.
(But every man is tepted, drawne away, and enticed of his own cocupiscece.)

TNT But every man is tepted drawne awaye and entysed of his awne concupiscece.
(But every man is tepted drawne away and enticed of his own concupiscece. )

Wycl But ech man is temptid, drawun and stirid of his owne coueiting.
(But each man is tempted, drawn and stirred of his own coueiting.)

Luth sondern ein jeglicher wird versucht, wenn er von seiner eigenen Lust gereizet und gelocket wird.
(rather a any/each becomes tried, when he from his own desire/lust(n) gereizet and gelocket becomes.)

ClVg Unusquisque vero tentatur a concupiscentia sua abstractus, et illectus.[fn]
(Everyone indeed/however tentatur from desire his_own abstractus, and he/that_onectus. )

1.14 Unusquisque tentatur. Duo sunt genera tentationum: unum quod probat, secundum quod tentavit Deus Abraham. Aliud quod decipit, secundum quod Deus neminem tentat. Cum super fundamentum, lignum, fenum, stipulam ædificamus, diabolus superponit incendium. Ædificemus aurum, argentum, lapides pretiosos: et tentare non audebit; nec tamen omnino desistit, sed sedet in occultis ut interficiat innocentem. Generat mortem. Sicut qui tentatus superat, præmia vitæ; ita qui concupiscentiis illectus superatur, merito ruinam mortis incurrit.

1.14 Everyone tentatur. Duo are genera temptations: one that approves, after/second that tentavit God Abraham. Another that deceives, after/second that God no_one tentat. Since over foundation, wood/timber, hay/rate(n), straw buildmus, the_devil superponit incendium. Ædificemus gold, silver, stones preciouss: and tentare not/no audebit; but_not nevertheless completely stops, but is_sitting in/into/on hidden as interficiat innocent. Generat death. Like who/which tentatus overcomes, prizes of_life; so/thus who/which concupiscentiis he/that_onectus overcomesur, deservedly ruin of_death incurrit.

UGNT ἕκαστος δὲ πειράζεται ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας, ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος;
(hekastos de peirazetai hupo taʸs idias epithumias, exelkomenos kai deleazomenos;)

SBL-GNT ἕκαστος δὲ πειράζεται ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος·
(hekastos de peirazetai hupo taʸs idias epithumias exelkomenos kai deleazomenos;)

RP-GNT ἕκαστος δὲ πειράζεται, ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος.
(hekastos de peirazetai, hupo taʸs idias epithumias exelkomenos kai deleazomenos.)

TC-GNT ἕκαστος δὲ πειράζεται, ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος.
(hekastos de peirazetai, hupo taʸs idias epithumias exelkomenos kai deleazomenos. )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:12–18: God does not tempt people to do evil

This section has an opening verse (1:12)Some commentators connect 1:12 to 1:2–11 (Hiebert, for example). Others see 1:12 as a kind of “hinge” that connects 1:2–11 to 1:12–18 (Moo (2000), pages 71–72; McCartney, page 100). They recognize that 1:2–3 and 1:12 form an inclusio, or verbal bracket to 1:2–12 through the repetition in both of three key words: trials (πειρασμοῖς/πειρασμόν), testing (δοκίμιον/δόκιμος), and endurance (ὑπομονήν/ὑπομένει). and two main paragraphs (1:13–15 and 1:16–18). In 1:12 James recalled 1:2–3 and that it was important to persevere in times of trial and temptation. The next paragraph, 1:13–15, points out that it is not God who tempts us but our own sinful desires, which eventually lead to death. Paragraph 1:16–18 reinforces this by saying that God gives only good gifts.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Christians should endure testing and temptations

Trials and temptations

Paragraph 1:13–15

In this paragraph, James taught that God does not tempt people. Our own sinful desires in our hearts and minds tempt us.

1:14a–b

each one is tempted when by his own evil desires: This clause states a general principle. In some languages, it may be more natural to state a general principle using plural phrases or using pronouns like “we” or “you.” For example:

people are tempted…by their own evil desires

we are tempted…by our own evil desires

you are tempted…by your own evil desires

This clause is also passive. Some ways to translate it are:

Use a passive verb. For example:
Everyone is tempted by his own desires (GW)
Use an active verb. For example:
A person’s own evil desire tempts him
Temptation comes from our own desires (NLT)

1:14a

But each one is tempted

But, each person is tempted
Rather, temptation happens/occurs
People want to do wrong

But: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as But indicates a contrast. The contrast is between the false idea that God tempts people to sin (1:13) and the true idea about temptation (1:14).

Some other ways to indicate this contrast are:

Rather

Instead

1:14b

when by his own evil desires

when his own evil desires
when a person himself desires to sin.
because of their own evil desires.

his own evil desires: The Greek noun that the BSB translates as evil desires generally refers to any wish or desire. However, in this context, it is clearly a sinful desire. For example:

wrong desire (NJB)

In some languages, it is more natural to translate this noun as a verb. For example:

he himself desires/wants to do evil

Notice that the word desires here is personified. In other words, desires are said to do things just like a person does. In some languages, it is not natural to say that “evil desires something.” In other words, in these languages, we cannot say that our own “desires” urge or entice us to do something. If your language is like that, you may want to avoid the personification. One way to do this is:

When he himself desires to do evil

1:14c

he is lured away and enticed.

attract/lure him and try to persuade him to sin.
It is like when an animal is attracted and lured to a trap.
It is as if someone/something is pulling/dragging them to do evil.

lured away and enticed: The Greek word that the BSB translates as lured away literally means “pulled/lured out.” The Greek word that the BSB translates as enticed literally means “attracted with a bait.” In this context, it means “attracted.”

These two Greek words are related metaphors. In this metaphor, the way that a person’s evil desires tempt him to sin is compared to the way a hunter catches a wild animal. One way that they are similar is that both the person and the wild animal are attracted to do something that is not good for them to do.

There are at least three ways to translate these metaphors:

Keep the metaphors. For example:
he is lured and enticed (ESV)
Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
like when they use bait to attract an animal and lure it to a trap
Translate the meaning without the metaphor. For example:
attract him and try to persuade him to sin

These two Greek words are also a doublet. This means that the two words mean basically the same thing. The reason for saying the same thing in two different ways is to intensify the meaning. If it is not natural to use doublets in your language, you may use one expression and intensify it. For example:

which can be enormously attractive (JBP)

he is increasingly attracted to do evil

he is enticed more and more to sin

General Comment on 1:14a–c

These verse parts contain three passive verbs (tempted, dragged, enticed). There are at least two ways to translate them:

Use passive verbs. For example:
But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. (NET)
Use active verbs. For example:
Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. (NLT)
A person’s own evil desires tempt him and entice him and drag him away.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

δὲ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἕκαστος Δέ πειράζεται ὑπό τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἐξελκόμενος καί δελεαζόμενος)

James is using the word But to indicate a contrast between the wrong idea that God might tempt someone and the truth that each person is tempted by his own desire. This is actually a strong contrast, and you may wish to use a strong expression for it. Alternate translation: [No, on the contrary,]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἕκαστος & πειράζεται ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας, ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος

each & ˓is_being˒_tempted (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἕκαστος Δέ πειράζεται ὑπό τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἐξελκόμενος καί δελεαζόμενος)

If it would be helpful in your language, you could express these passive phrases by stating each of these things with active verbal forms. Alternate translation: [each person’s own desire tempts him by enticing him and then dragging him away]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

ἕκαστος & πειράζεται ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας, ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος

James is speaking of desire as if it were a living thing that could actively tempt people, entice them, and drag them away captive. Alternate translation: [each person wants to do wrong when he desires something that he should not desire and, because he is attracted to that thing, he commits sin and then cannot stop sinning]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / events

ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος

˓being˒_drawn_away (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἕκαστος Δέ πειράζεται ὑπό τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἐξελκόμενος καί δελεαζόμενος)

Since the word translated as enticed often means to use bait to trap prey, James may be stressing the result (the captured prey being dragged away) by speaking of it before the method that was used to achieve it (baiting a trap). It may be helpful to your readers to indicate that the method came before the result. Alternate translation: [enticed and dragged away] or [dragged away after being enticed]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor