YAC 3:14 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=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
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).

ULT But if you have bitter jealousy and ambition in your heart, do not boast and lie against the truth.

UST But if inwardly you grudgingly resent other people and you think you are more important than they are, you should not claim to be wise. That would be saying that what is false is actually true.

BSB But if you {harbor} bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, {do} not boast [in it] or deny the truth.

BLB But if you have bitter jealousy and self-interest in your heart, do not boast of it and lie against the truth.

AICNT But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.

OEB But if you harbour bitter envy and a spirit of rivalry in your hearts, do not boast or deny the truth.

WEBBE But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth.

LSV yet, if you have bitter zeal, and rivalry in your heart, do not glory, nor lie against the truth;

FBV But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast about it and don't lie against the truth.

TCNT But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast or deny the truth.

T4T But if you are very [MET] jealous/unhappy when you see that someone else is succeeding, and always want to have what you want, regardless of what others want, you should not say that you are wise, for by boasting like that, you are saying that ◄God’s message/what God says about you► is not true.

LEB But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth.

BBE But if you have bitter envy in your heart and the desire to get the better of others, have no pride in this, talking falsely against what is true.

Moff But if you are cherishing bitter jealousy and rivalry in your hearts, do not pride yourselves on that--and be false to the truth.

Wymth But if in your hearts you have bitter feelings of envy and rivalry, do not speak boastfully and falsely, in defiance of the truth.

ASV But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth.

DRA But if you have bitter zeal, and there be contentions in your hearts; glory not, and be not liars against the truth.

YLT and if bitter zeal ye have, and rivalry in your heart, glory not, nor lie against the truth;

Drby but if ye have bitter emulation and strife in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.

RV But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth.
(But if ye/you_all have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. )

SLT And if ye have bitter envy and intrigue in your heart, boast not, and lie not against the truth.

Wbstr But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

KJB-1769 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
(But if ye/you_all have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. )

KJB-1611 But if ye haue bitter enuying and strife in your hearts glory not, and lie not against the trueth.
(But if ye/you_all have bitter enuying and strife in your hearts glory not, and lie not against the truth.)

Bshps But yf ye haue bitter enuiyng & strife in your hearte, glorie not, neither be lyers agaynst the trueth.
(But if ye/you_all have bitter envying and strife in your hearte, glory not, neither be liars against the truth.)

Gnva But if ye haue bitter enuying and strife in your hearts, reioyce not, neither be liars against the trueth.
(But if ye/you_all have bitter enuying and strife in your hearts, rejoice not, neither be liars against the truth. )

Cvdl But yf ye haue bitter enuyenge and stryfe in yor hertes, reioyce not: nether be lyars agaynst the trueth.
(But if ye/you_all have bitter enuyenge and strife in your hearts, rejoice not: neither be lyars against the truth.)

TNT But Yf ye have bitter envyinge and stryfe in youre hertes reioyce not: nether be lyars agaynst the trueth.
(But If ye/you_all have bitter envyinge and strife in your(pl) hearts rejoice not: neither be lyars against the truth. )

Wycl That if ye han bitter enuye, and stryuyngis ben in youre hertis, nyle ye haue glorye, and be lyeris ayens the treuthe.
(That if ye/you_all have bitter envy, and strivingis been in your(pl) hearts, won’t ye/you_all have glory, and be liaris against the truth.)

Luth Habt ihr aber bitteren Neid und Zank in eurem Herzen, so rühmet euch nicht und lüget nicht wider die Wahrheit.
(Have you(pl)/their/her but bitter Neid and quarrel(n) in yours(pl) heart(s), so boasts you not and lies(v) not against the truth.)

ClVg Quod si zelum amarum habetis, et contentiones sint in cordibus vestris: nolite gloriari, et mendaces esse adversus veritatem:[fn]
(That when/but_if zeal bitter you(pl)_have, and contentiones let_them_be in/into/on hearts yours: don't to_boast, and mendaces to_be against the_truth: )

3.14 Et mendaces esse adversus veritatem. Nolite mentiri Deo, cui in baptismo promisistis abrenuntiare pompis diaboli, quod non facitis cum de bonis superbire vultis.

3.14 And mendaces to_be against the_truth. Don't mentiri to_God, to_whom in/into/on baptism promisistis abrenuntiare pompis devils, that not/no you_do when/with from/about good proudre do_you_want.

UGNT εἰ δὲ ζῆλον πικρὸν ἔχετε, καὶ ἐριθείαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν, μὴ κατακαυχᾶσθε καὶ ψεύδεσθε κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας.
(ei de zaʸlon pikron eⱪete, kai eritheian en taʸ kardia humōn, maʸ katakauⱪasthe kai pseudesthe kata taʸs alaʸtheias.)

SBL-GNT εἰ δὲ ζῆλον πικρὸν ἔχετε καὶ ἐριθείαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν, μὴ κατακαυχᾶσθε καὶ ψεύδεσθε κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας.
(ei de zaʸlon pikron eⱪete kai eritheian en taʸ kardia humōn, maʸ katakauⱪasthe kai pseudesthe kata taʸs alaʸtheias.)

RP-GNT Εἰ δὲ ζῆλον πικρὸν ἔχετε καὶ ἐριθείαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν, μὴ κατακαυχᾶσθε καὶ ψεύδεσθε κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας.
(Ei de zaʸlon pikron eⱪete kai eritheian en taʸ kardia humōn, maʸ katakauⱪasthe kai pseudesthe kata taʸs alaʸtheias.)

TC-GNT Εἰ δὲ ζῆλον πικρὸν ἔχετε καὶ [fn]ἐριθείαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν, μὴ κατακαυχᾶσθε καὶ ψεύδεσθε κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας.
(Ei de zaʸlon pikron eⱪete kai eritheian en taʸ kardia humōn, maʸ katakauⱪasthe kai pseudesthe kata taʸs alaʸtheias. )

3:14 εριθειαν ¦ εριθιαν WH

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

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:13–18: The wisdom of God is quite different from the wisdom of the devil

This section has three paragraphs. First, in 3:13 James introduced the topic of wisdom. Then he continued with two paragraphs. In each paragraph he discussed one type of wisdom. The first type he discussed (in 3:14–16) is the false wisdom that does not come from God. The second type he discussed (in 3:17–18) is the true wisdom that does come from God.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

True Wisdom Comes from God (NLT)

Two Kinds of Wisdom (NIV)

Paragraph 3:14–16

In 3:14–16, James discussed false wisdom. People who have envy and personal ambition show that the wisdom that they claim to have is false. It does not come from God.

3:14a–b

if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts: This clause begins with the word if. But James was assuming that some of his readers did have bitter envy and selfish ambition. In some languages, it may be best not to translate this as an “if” sentence. It may be better to say:

Some of you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts.

From the context, it seems that James was still addressing men who wanted to be recognized as teachers in the church. No doubt there was more than one teacher, and they were competing with one another. Every teacher and his supporters thought that their way was correct. They were dedicated to their way so much that they argued bitterly and fiercely with their opponents.

3:14a

But if you harbor bitter jealousy

¶ But if you^(plur) have a lot of envy
¶ But some of you^(plur) are extremely jealous of other people

But: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as But introduces a contrast with 3:13c. The “bitter envy and selfish ambition” that James saw in people are in contrast to the “humility” (3:13c) that he wanted to see.

you harbor: The Greek word that the BSB translates as harbor is literally “have” (as in the RSV). Some other ways to translate this word are:

you have (NET)

you are (NCV)

bitter jealousy: The Greek word that the BSB translates as bitter is often used to describe water that is not drinkable because of its bad taste (as it was used in 3:11). It is used figuratively here to refer to an attitude that is harsh, unpleasant, and resentful.

The Greek word that the BSB translates as jealousy also means “envy.” It is intense, negative feelings when someone else succeeds in ways that you have not succeeded.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

bitter envy (NIV)

severe envy

very jealous

extremely unhappy when others succeed

3:14b

and selfish ambition in your hearts,

and selfishness in your^(plur) hearts,
and selfish.

and selfish ambition: The Greek word that the BSB translates as selfish ambition can also be translated as “selfishness” (as in the NET). It refers to the attitude of someone who works to advance his own interests even if it harms or offends others.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

self-centered ambition (GW)

selfishness (NET)

and you want only you yourself to be dominant

and you only think about yourself

want to succeed more than others are succeeding

In this verse, James seems to have been warning teachers not to seek to increase the number of people in the church who supported them. He was also warning their groups of supporters not to promote their own teacher and try to destroy the reputation of the other teachers.

This same word occurs in Philippians 2:3–4.

in your hearts: The Greek word that the BSB translates as hearts refers to the part of a person where his thoughts and feelings come from. Some languages refer to this part of a person as the liver or stomach. In other languages, it may be most natural to omit this phrase altogether and leave the meaning implicit. For example:

if you are bitterly jealous and selfish

Or you may translate it in another way that refers to someone’s inward thoughts and attitudes. For example:

if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness inside yourself

if you are bitterly jealous and filled with self-centered ambition (GW)

3:14c

do not boast in it

do not boast of your wisdom. (JBP)
So do not brag and say that you^(plur) are wise.

do not boast in it: The Greek clause that the BSB translates as do not boast in it is literally “do not boast” (as in the RSV). Most scholars agree that the boast is a claim to be wise. You may want to make this clear in your translation. For example:

do not boast of your wisdom (JBP)

don’t brag about being wise (NLT96)

boast: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as boast here means to brag or say good things about oneself. James was telling his readers not to make confident or arrogant claims that they were wise.

3:14d

or deny the truth.

Do not lie^(plur) like that.
It’s not true.

or deny the truth: The Greek clause that the BSB translates as deny the truth is literally “do not lie against the truth.” There are several ways to interpret this clause. The two most common ways are:There is a third view: the truth which is contradicted is the truth that true wisdom is accompanied by meekness. When someone claims to be wise but is full of selfishness and jealousy, his life contradicts this truth. (See Martin, pages 130–131; Moo (2000), page 172; Laws, page 160–161.)

The word truth refers to the truth regarding the boast that they are wise. According to this interpretation, those who boasted that they were wise were not telling the truth. They were lying.Huther, page 167; Mayor, page 123; Mitton, page 137; Davids (1982), page 151. For example:
^14cDon’t say that you are wise ^14dwhen it isn’t true. (GW) (GW, NLT96; possibly REB, NLT, CEV, NCVThese last four versions which speak about hiding, covering up, or defying the truth may mean “do not cover up the truth that you are really full of jealousy and selfish ambition and so cannot have true wisdom.”)
The word truth refers to the truth that is found in the gospel or God’s word. (Or it may refer more specifically to the truth about what wisdom really is like.) According to this interpretation, those who boasted that they were wise “denied, contradicted, or hid from others” the truth of the gospel by the way they lived. They prevented or hindered people from knowing what real truth was.

Many English translations are ambiguous, and it is not possible to tell which interpretation they follow. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

This is a lie.

Do not lie like that.

You are lying. It’s not true.

when what you do contradicts the truth

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ζῆλον πικρὸν ἔχετε, καὶ ἐριθείαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν

jealousy (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Δέ ζῆλον πικρόν ἔχετε καί ἐριθείαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν μή κατακαυχᾶσθε καί ψεύδεσθε κατά τῆς ἀληθείας)

James is using the heart to represent the thoughts and emotions. Alternate translation: [you have bitterly envious and ambitious thoughts and feelings]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ζῆλον πικρὸν ἔχετε, καὶ ἐριθείαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν

If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the abstract nouns jealousy and ambition by stating the ideas behind them with equivalent expressions. Alternate translation: [in your heart you resent what other people have and you want to be more successful than anyone else]

τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν

the heart ˱of˲_you_all

Since you and your are plural in this verse, if you retain the metaphor heart in your translation, it might be more natural in your language to use the plural form of that word. Alternate translation: [your hearts]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

μὴ κατακαυχᾶσθε καὶ ψεύδεσθε κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Δέ ζῆλον πικρόν ἔχετε καί ἐριθείαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν μή κατακαυχᾶσθε καί ψεύδεσθε κατά τῆς ἀληθείας)

Since James says in the previous verse that someone who is truly wise will be humble, he could be saying here that if someone claims to be wise but is jealous and ambitious, he is showing that he is actually not wise. Alternate translation: [then do not boast that you are wise, because that would not be true]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ψεύδεσθε κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας

˓be˒_lying (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Δέ ζῆλον πικρόν ἔχετε καί ἐριθείαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν μή κατακαυχᾶσθε καί ψεύδεσθε κατά τῆς ἀληθείας)

If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun truth with an adjective such as “true.” Alternate translation: [tell lies that are not true]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicitinfo