YAC 1:2 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=minor/spelling Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object, magenta:vocative.
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 My fellow believers, consider it something to rejoice over greatly when you experience various kinds of hardships.

AICNT Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,

OEB My friends, whatever trials you may face from time to time, always regard them as a reason for rejoicing,

CSB Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials,

NLT Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.

NIV Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

CEV My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble.

ESV Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

NASB Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

LSB Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,

WEBBE Count it all joy, my brothers,[fn] when you fall into various temptations,

1:2 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

WMBB (Same as above including footnotes)

MSG Faith Under Pressure (2-4) Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

NET My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials,

LSV Count [it] all joy, my brothers, when you may fall into manifold temptations,

FBV My friends, choose to stay happy even when all kinds of troubles come your way,

TCNT Count it all joy, my brothers, when you experience various trials,

T4T My fellow believers, rejoice greatly, even when you experience various kinds of difficulties/troubles.

LEB ¶ Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you encounter various trials,

NRSV My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy,

NKJV My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

NAB Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,

BBE Let it be all joy to you, my brothers, when you undergo tests of every sort;

Moff Greet it as pure joy, my brothers, when you come across any sort of trial,

Wymth Reckon it nothing but joy, my brethren, whenever you find yourselves hedged in by various trials.

ASV ¶ Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations;

DRA My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers temptations;

YLT All joy count [it], my brethren, when ye may fall into temptations manifold;

Drby Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into various temptations,

RV Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations;
(Count it all joy, my brethren/brothers, when ye/you_all fall into manifold temptations; )

SLT Deem all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into various trials;

Wbstr My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.

KJB-1769 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
(My brethren/brothers, count it all joy when ye/you_all fall into diverse/various temptations; )

KJB-1611 My brethren, count it all ioy when ye fall into diuers temptations,
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps My brethren, count it all ioy whe ye fall into diuers temptations:
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Gnva My brethren, count it exceeding ioy, when ye fall into diuers tentations,
(My brethren/brothers, count it exceeding joy, when ye/you_all fall into diverse/various temptations, )

Cvdl My brethren, counte it exceadynge ioye whe ye fall in to diuers temptacions,
(My brethren/brothers, count it exceading joy when ye/you_all fall in to diverse/various temptations,)

TNT My brethren count it excedynge ioye when ye faule into divers temptacions
(My brethren/brothers count it exceding joy when ye/you_all fall into diverse/various temptations )

Wycl My britheren, deme ye al ioye, whanne ye fallen in to diuerse temptaciouns, witynge,
(My brethren/brothers, judge/judgement ye/you_all all joy, when ye/you_all fallen in to diverse/various temptations, witing,)

Luth Meine lieben Brüder, achtet es eitel Freude, wenn ihr in mancherlei Anfechtung fallet,
(My love(v) brothers, pay_attention it vain joy/pleasure/delight, when you(pl)/their/her in various challenge(n) fallt,)

ClVg Omne gaudium existimate fratres mei, cum in tentationes varias incideritis:[fn]
(Everything joy existimate brothers my/mine, when/with in/into/on temptations varias incideritis: )

1.2 Omne gaudium. Ne indignemini si mali in mundo florent, si vos patimini, quia non est Christianæ veritatis in temporalibus exaltari, sed potius deprimi. Mali nihil habent in cœlo, vos nihil in mundo. Spe illius boni ad quod tenditis, quidquid in via contingat, gaudere debetis. Cum in tentationes. A perfectioribus incipit de extrinsecis tentationibus.

1.2 Everything joy. Don't unworthilymini when/but_if evil in/into/on to_the_world florent, when/but_if you(pl) patimini, because not/no it_is Christianæ to_the_truths in/into/on temporal to_be_exalted, but rather deprimi. Mali nothing they_have in/into/on sky, you(pl) nothing in/into/on to_the_world. Spe of_that good to that tendsis, whatever in/into/on way/road contingat, to_rejoice you_must. Since in/into/on temptations. From perfectioribus begins from/about extrinsecis temptations.

UGNT πᾶσαν χαρὰν ἡγήσασθε, ἀδελφοί μου, ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις,
(pasan ⱪaran haʸgaʸsasthe, adelfoi mou, hotan peirasmois peripesaʸte poikilois,)

SBL-GNT Πᾶσαν χαρὰν ἡγήσασθε, ἀδελφοί μου, ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις,
(Pasan ⱪaran haʸgaʸsasthe, adelfoi mou, hotan peirasmois peripesaʸte poikilois,)

RP-GNT Πᾶσαν χαρὰν ἡγήσασθε, ἀδελφοί μου, ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις,
(Pasan ⱪaran haʸgaʸsasthe, adelfoi mou, hotan peirasmois peripesaʸte poikilois,)

TC-GNT Πᾶσαν χαρὰν ἡγήσασθε, ἀδελφοί μου, ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις,
(Pasan ⱪaran haʸgaʸsasthe, adelfoi mou, hotan peirasmois peripesaʸte poikilois, )

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

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:2–11: James encouraged believers to continue to trust God during times of testing

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

Paragraph 1:2–4

James taught that Christians should rejoice when persons or situations test their faith. When such tests occur, Christians learn how to persevere, and they become more mature in their faith.

1:2a

Consider it pure joy, my brothers,

¶ Count it all joy, my brothers, (ESV)
¶ My brothers and sisters, be^(plur) very joyful/glad
¶ My fellow believers, make^(plur) it a reason/occasion to be very happy

Consider it pure joy, my brothers: Here in Greek, James switched from speaking about his readers in the third person to addressing them directly. Make sure it is clear to your readers that the expression my brothers refers to the same people as “the twelve tribes” in 1:1b.

Consider it pure joy: The Greek clause that the BSB translates as Consider it pure joy is literally “Consider it all joy” (as in the NASB). This means “Regard trials as something to rejoice about” or “Think of trials as occasions for joy.” This refers to joy with no sadness mixed with it at all. James wanted his readers to think about their trials as positive events that God allowed for their good.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

be very happy (GW)

be glad (CEV)

let it be an opportunity for joy (NLT96)

my brothers: The Greek word that the BSB translates as brothers is the term commonly used in the New Testament to refer to other believers in Jesus. This term emphasizes that all believers belonged to God’s family. James used this term to identify with his audience and to show his closeness with all believers. You may have a different term of address in your language which establishes a feeling of closeness with your audience. If so, consider using it here.

Although James used a masculine form, he was not intending to exclude women. In your translation, you should use a word or phrase that does not exclude women.

Some other ways to translate this are:

my fellow believers

My brothers and sisters (NET)

my relatives/siblings in Christ

my Christian friends

James tended to use a term of address (like my brothers) when he was introducing a new topic. Here he introduced the topic of trials. You may have another natural way in your language to introduce a new topic. If you do, you could use it here.

Notice that the BSB places the phrase my brothers in the middle of 1:2. This follows the Greek text. If it is more natural in your language to place it at the beginning or end of the sentence or verse, consider doing that here. For example:

My brothers and sisters, be very happy… (GW)

1:2b

when you encounter trials of many kinds,

when you^(plur) encounter all kinds of tests,
when you^(plur) have all sorts of problems/troubles that test your faith.
when all kinds of trials/difficulties come to you.^(plur)

when you encounter trials of many kinds: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as encounter means “experience.” Some other ways to translate this clause are:

whenever you face trials of many kinds (NIV)

when you encounter various trials (NASB)

when all kinds of trials come your way (GNT)

trials of many kinds: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as trials of many kinds refers to various types of difficult situations that occur in a person’s life and test his faith. These can include both external problemsThe following commentators interpret πειρασμοῖς as referring primarily to problems and difficulties: Mayor, page 32; Ropes, pages 133–134; Davids (1982), page 37; Hiebert, page 72; Laws, page 51; Moo (1985), pages 59–60; Martin, page 15. like persecution and internal temptationsThe following commentators interpret πειρασμοῖς as applying primarily to temptations or assaults of evil: Alford, page 275; Huther (but doubtfully), pages 41–42; Mitton, page 19; Adamson (1976), page 53: “trying assaults of evil.” from Satan. The Greek term for trials includes the meanings of both testing and temptation.

Some ways to translate this clause are:

when you^(plur) experience all kinds of problems that test your faith

when you are tested in different ways (GW)

when you have many kinds of troubles (NCV)

General Comment on 1:2a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of the clauses in 1:2. For example:

^2aMy brothers and sisters, ^2bwhen you have many kinds of troubles, ^2ayou should be full of joy. (NCV)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

πᾶσαν χαρὰν ἡγήσασθε

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Πασᾶν χαράν ἡγήσασθε ἀδελφοί μού ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις)

If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun joy with an adjective such as “happy.” Alternate translation: [You should be happy]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

πᾶσαν χαρὰν ἡγήσασθε

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Πασᾶν χαράν ἡγήσασθε ἀδελφοί μού ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις)

James says all as an overstatement for emphasis. He does not mean that believers should be happy about all the bad things that happen to them when they encounter trials. Rather, he means that the trials provide a general occasion for them to rejoice because of the valuable things God that is developing in their lives. He describes these things in the next verse. Alternate translation: [You should be very happy]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἀδελφοί μου

brothers (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Πασᾶν χαράν ἡγήσασθε ἀδελφοί μού ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις)

James is using the term brothers to refer to fellow believers in Jesus. Alternate translation, as in UST: [my fellow believers]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

ἀδελφοί μου

brothers (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Πασᾶν χαράν ἡγήσασθε ἀδελφοί μού ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις)

James is using the term brothers in a generic sense that includes both men and women. Be sure that this is clear in your translation so that your readers do not get the impression that James is addressing only men. If you use a word such as “believers” to translate the metaphor brothers, you may need to use both the masculine and the feminine forms of that word in your language. If you retain the metaphor, you could state [my brothers and sisters]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

περιπέσητε ποικίλοις

˱you_all˲_˓may˒_fall_among various

James is speaking of trials as if they were a hole or pit that believers could fall into. Alternate translation: [you encounter different trials]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / you

περιπέσητε

˱you_all˲_˓may˒_fall_among

The pronoun you is plural here, since James is writing to believers in Jesus as a group. Generally throughout the letter, the pronouns “you” and “your” are plural for this same reason. These notes will identify the few places where they are singular instead.

Parallel YAC 1:2

Section 1:2–11: James encouraged believers to continue to trust God during times of testing

Paragraph 1:2–4

1:2a

1:2b

General Comment on 1:2a–b