Open Bible Data Home About News OET Key
OET OET-RV OET-LV ULT UST BSB BLB AICNT OEB WEBBE WMBB NET LSV FBV TCNT T4T LEB BBE Moff JPS Wymth ASV DRA YLT Drby RV Wbstr KJB-1769 KJB-1611 Bshps Gnva Cvdl TNT Wycl SR-GNT UHB BrLXX BrTr Related Topics Parallel Interlinear Reference Dictionary Search
parallelVerse INT GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOS JDG RUTH 1SA 2SA PSA AMOS HOS 1KI 2KI 1CH 2CH PRO ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL JOB YHN MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC GAL 1TH 2TH 1COR 2COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1TIM TIT 1PET 2PET 2TIM HEB YUD 1YHN 2YHN 3YHN REV
Yacob/(James) Intro C1 C2 C3 C4 C5
Yac 1 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26 V27
Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. 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=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance=normal (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV) Every gift that’s good and perfect comes from heaven. It comes down from the father of lights, none of which are changing or casting moving shadows.
OET-LV Every giving good, and every gift perfect from_above is, coming_down from the father of_ the _lights, with whom not there_is variation or of_shifting shadow.
SR-GNT Πᾶσα δόσις ἀγαθὴ, καὶ πᾶν δώρημα τέλειον ἄνωθέν ἐστιν, καταβαῖνον ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς τῶν φώτων, παρʼ ᾧ οὐκ ἔνι παραλλαγὴ ἢ τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα. ‡
(Pasa dosis agathaʸ, kai pan dōraʸma teleion anōthen estin, katabainon apo tou Patros tōn fōtōn, parʼ hō ouk eni parallagaʸ aʸ tropaʸs aposkiasma.)
Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
ULT Every good present and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or shadow of turning.
UST Every truly good and perfect gift comes from God the Father, who is in heaven. He created the sun, moon, and stars. But God does not change the way shadows change, appearing and disappearing. God never changes. He is always good!
BSB Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.[fn]
1:17 Or no change or shadow of turning.
BLB Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of shifting.
AICNT Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
OEB Every good thing given us, and every perfect gift, is from above, and comes down to us from the Father of the lights in the heavens, who is himself never subject to change or to eclipse.
CSB Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
NLT Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
NIV Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
CEV Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing.
ESV Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
NASB Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
LSB Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
WEBBE Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation nor turning shadow.
WMBB (Same as above)
MSG (16-18)So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.
NET All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change.
LSV Every good giving, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of turning;
FBV All that's good, every perfect gift, is from above, and comes down from the Father who made heaven's lights. Unlike them he doesn't change—he doesn't vary or cause shadows.[fn]
1:17 James seems to be referring to the varying movements of heavenly bodies and eclipses (shadows).
TCNT Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
T4T The truth is that God, our heavenly Father [MTY], does only good [DOU] things for us, in order to help us become all that he intends us to be. He is not like all the things in the sky that he created to give light, because they change; that is, they do not shine the same all the time. But God never changes. He is always good.
LEB Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of change.
NRSV Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
NKJV Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
NAB all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.
BBE Every good and true thing is given to us from heaven, coming from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or any shade made by turning.
Moff No Moff YAC (JAM) book available
Wymth Every gift which is good, and every perfect boon, is from above, and comes down from the Father, who is the source of all Light. In Him there is no variation nor the slightest suggestion of change.
ASV Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.
DRA Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration.
YLT every good giving, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of turning;
Drby Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation nor shadow of turning.
RV Every good gift and every perfect boon is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.
Wbstr Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
KJB-1769 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
(Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh/comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. )
KJB-1611 Euery good gift, and euery perfect gift is from aboue, & commeth downe from the Father of lights, with whom is no variablenesse, neither shadow of turning.
(Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh/comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variablenesse, neither shadow of turning.)
Bshps Euery good geuyng, and euery perfect gyft is from aboue, and cometh downe from the father of lyghtes, with who is no variablenes, neither shadow of turnyng.
(Every good geuyng, and every perfect gyft is from above, and cometh/comes down from the father of lightes, with who is no variablenes, neither shadow of turnyng.)
Gnva Euery good giuing, and euery perfect gift is from aboue, and commeth downe from the Father of lights, with whome is no variablenes, neither shadow of turning.
(Every good giuing, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh/comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variablenes, neither shadow of turning. )
Cvdl Euery good gifte, & euery parfait gift, is from aboue, and cometh downe from ye father of light, with whom is no variablenes, nether is he chaunged vnto darcknes.
(Every good gifte, and every parfait gift, is from above, and cometh/comes down from ye/you_all father of light, with whom is no variablenes, neither is he chaunged unto darkness.)
TNT Every good gyfte and every parfayt gyft is from above and commeth doune from the father of light with whom is no variablenes nether is he chaunged vnto darcknes.
(Every good gyfte and every parfayt gyft is from above and cometh/comes down from the father of light with whom is no variablenes neither is he chaunged unto darkness. )
Wycl Ech good yifte, and ech perfit yifte is from aboue, and cometh doun fro the fadir of liytis, anentis whom is noon other chaungyng, ne ouerschadewyng of reward.
(Each good yifte, and each perfit yifte is from above, and cometh/comes down from the father of lightis, anentis whom is noon other changing, nor ouerschadewyng of reward.)
Luth Alle gute Gabe und alle vollkommene Gabe kommt von oben herab, von dem Vater des Lichts, bei welchem ist keine Veränderung noch Wechsel des Lichts und Finsternis.
(Alle gute Gabe and all vollkommene Gabe comes from above herab, from to_him father the lights, at which_one is no Veränderung still Wechsel the lights and darkness.)
ClVg Omne datum optimum, et omne donum perfectum desursum est, descendens a Patre luminum, apud quem non est transmutatio, nec vicissitudinis obumbratio.[fn]
(Omne datum optimum, and omne donum perfectum desursum it_is, descendens from Patre luminum, apud which not/no it_is transmutatio, but_not vicissitudinis obumbratio. )
1.17 Omne datum, etc. BED. Postquam docuit quod vitia non a Deo nobis, sed a nobis sunt, etc., usque ad donum perfectum potest intelligi. Nec vicissitudinis. Lumen ejus aliqua umbra non interdicit, ut aliqua mala immittat. Semper bona lucis sunt in Deo, sed ejus dona in nobis aliquando sunt quæ supervenientia obumbrant peccata.
1.17 Omne datum, etc. BED. Postquam docuit that vitia not/no from Deo nobis, but from us are, etc., until to donum perfectum potest intelligi. Nec vicissitudinis. Lumen his aliqua umbra not/no interdicit, as aliqua mala immittat. Semper good lucis are in Deo, but his dona in us aliquando are which supervenientia obumbrant peccata.
UGNT πᾶσα δόσις ἀγαθὴ, καὶ πᾶν δώρημα τέλειον, ἄνωθέν ἐστιν, καταβαῖνον ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς τῶν φώτων, παρ’ ᾧ οὐκ ἔνι παραλλαγὴ ἢ τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα.
(pasa dosis agathaʸ, kai pan dōraʸma teleion, anōthen estin, katabainon apo tou Patros tōn fōtōn, par’ hō ouk eni parallagaʸ aʸ tropaʸs aposkiasma.)
SBL-GNT Πᾶσα δόσις ἀγαθὴ καὶ πᾶν δώρημα τέλειον ἄνωθέν ἐστιν, καταβαῖνον ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς τῶν φώτων, παρʼ ᾧ οὐκ ἔνι παραλλαγὴ ἢ τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα.
(Pasa dosis agathaʸ kai pan dōraʸma teleion anōthen estin, katabainon apo tou patros tōn fōtōn, parʼ hō ouk eni parallagaʸ aʸ tropaʸs aposkiasma.)
TC-GNT Πᾶσα δόσις ἀγαθὴ καὶ πᾶν δώρημα τέλειον ἄνωθέν ἐστι, καταβαῖνον ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς τῶν φώτων, παρ᾽ ᾧ οὐκ ἔνι παραλλαγή, ἢ τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα.
(Pasa dosis agathaʸ kai pan dōraʸma teleion anōthen esti, katabainon apo tou patros tōn fōtōn, par hō ouk eni parallagaʸ, aʸ tropaʸs aposkiasma. )
Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).
1:17 God is the Father of lights (see footnote) since he created everything in the heavens (Gen 1:3, 14-17). In contrast to the moving lights in the heavens, God never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
πᾶσα δόσις ἀγαθὴ, καὶ πᾶν δώρημα τέλειον, ἄνωθέν ἐστιν
every giving good and every gift perfect from_above is
Here, from above is a spatial metaphor that describes God. Alternate translation: “God gives us every good present and every perfect gift”
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet
πᾶσα δόσις ἀγαθὴ, καὶ πᾶν δώρημα τέλειον, ἄνωθέν ἐστιν
every giving good and every gift perfect from_above is
The phrases good present and perfect gift mean similar things. James is using them together for emphasis. (As in 1:4, the word perfect refers to something that has developed to the point where it is fully suited to its purpose.) If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this connection by translating both phrases with a single expression. Alternate translation: “God gives us the things that are just right for us”
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
καταβαῖνον ἀπὸ
coming_down from
Continuing the spatial metaphor, James speaks of these gifts coming down from God. If you translate this plainly, it may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “They come to us from”
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
τοῦ Πατρὸς τῶν φώτων
the Father ¬the ˱of˲_lights
Here, lights likely means the lights in the sky, that is, the sun, moon, and stars. James says that God is their Father because he created them. Alternate translation: “God, who created all the lights in the sky”
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet
παρ’ ᾧ οὐκ ἔνι παραλλαγὴ ἢ τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα
with whom not there_is variation or ˱of˲_shifting shadow
Here, change and shadow of turning mean similar things. James is using repetition for emphasis. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could combine them into a single phrase and express the metaphor of a shadow (See: later note) as a simile. It may also be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “God does not change as shifting shadows do”
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα
˱of˲_shifting shadow
James is using the possessive form to describe a shadow that is characterized by turning. Alternate translation: “shadow that turns” or “shadow that changes position”
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα
˱of˲_shifting shadow
James is contrasting God, the Creator of the lights in the sky, with those lights themselves, which are not as great as their Creator. They create shadows that change position, but God never deviates from wanting only good things for people. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “turning shadow such as the sun or moon casts. No, God always wants good things for people”
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα
˱of˲_shifting shadow
There could not literally be a shadow in God, so this is a metaphor. Alternate translation: “variability”