YAC 4:15 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.)

OET (OET-RV) So instead of saying that, you should say, ‘If the master wants it, we will live and we’ll do this or that.’

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, 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).

ULT Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wishes, we will both live and do this or that.”

UST Instead of what you are saying, you should say, “If the Lord is willing, we will still be alive and we will be able to do one thing or another.”

BLB Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord should will, both we will live and we will do this or that."

AICNT Instead you should say, If the Lord wills, {we will}[fn] live and do this or that.

4:15, we will: Later manuscripts read “let us.” BYZ TR

OEB Instead you should say “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

WEBBE For you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that.”

WMBB (Same as above)

NET You ought to say instead, “If the Lord is willing, then we will live and do this or that.”

LSV instead, you [ought] to say, “If the LORD may will, we will live, and do this or that”;

FBV What you should say is, “If it's the Lord's will, we'll live like this and plan to do that.”

TCNT Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, [fn]let us live and do this or that.”

4:15 let us ¦ we will ANT CT SCR

T4T Instead of what you are saying, you should say, “If the Lord wills/desires, we will live and do this or that.”

LEB Instead you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

BBE But the right thing to say would be, If it is the Lord's pleasure and if we are still living, we will do this and that.

Moff You ought rather to say, "If the Lord will, we shall live to do this or that."

Wymth Instead of that you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we shall live and do this or that."

ASV For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that.

DRA For what is your life? It is a vapour which appeareth for a little while, and afterwards shall vanish away. For that you should say: If the Lord will, and if we shall live, we will do this or that.

YLT instead of your saying, 'If the Lord may will, we shall live, and do this or that;'

Drby instead of your saying, If the Lord should [so] will and we should live, we will also do this or that.

RV For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that.
(For that ye/you_all ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that. )

SLT For you should say, If the Lord will, and we live, and should do this, or that.

Wbstr Instead of that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

KJB-1769 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
(For that ye/you_all ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. )

KJB-1611 For that yee ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall liue, and doe this, or that.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation)

Bshps For that ye ought to say: If the Lorde wyll, and yf we lyue, let vs do this or that.
(For that ye/you_all ought to say: If the Lord will, and if we live, let us do this or that.)

Gnva For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, and, if we liue, we will doe this or that.
(For that ye/you_all ought to say, If the Lord will, and, if we live, we will do this or that. )

Cvdl For that ye ought to say: yf the LORDE wil, and yf we liue, let vs do this or that.
(For that ye/you_all ought to say: if the LORD will, and if we live, let us do this or that.)

TNT For that ye ought to saye: yf the lorde will and yf we live let vs do this or that.
(For that ye/you_all ought to say: if the lord will and if we live let us do this or that. )

Wycl For what is youre lijf? A smoke apperinge at a litil, and aftirward it schal be wastid. Therfor that ye seie, If the Lord wole, and if we liuen, we schulen do this thing, ether that thing.
(For what is your(pl) life? A smoke appearing at a little, and afterward it shall be wasted. Therefore that ye/you_all say, If the Lord will, and if we liuen, we should do this thing, either that thing.)

Luth Dafür ihr sagen solltet: So der HErr will, und wir leben, wollen wir dies oder das tun.
(For_that you(pl)/their/her say should: So the/of_the LORD will, and we/us life, want we/us this/these or the do/put.)

ClVg Quæ est enim vita vestra? vapor est ad modicum parens, et deinceps exterminabitur; pro eo ut dicatis: Si Dominus voluerit. Et: Si vixerimus, faciemus hoc, aut illud.[fn]
(Which it_is because life your? vapor it_is to modicum parens, and onwards/afterwards will_be_exterminated; for by_him as let_him_sayis: When/But_if Master wanted. And: When/But_if barelyerimus, we_will_do hoc, or it/this/that. )

4.15 Quæ est enim vita vestra? etc. Non consentit illis qui dicunt post mortem nihil esse, et mortem ipsam nihil esse. Sed ita loquitur ut doceat quod vita pravorum brevis est in præsenti: quam tamen in futuro mors æterna sequetur.

4.15 Which it_is because life your? etc. Not/No consentit to_them who/which they_say after death nothing to_be, and death itself nothing to_be. But so/thus speaks as let_him_teach that life pravorum shortlys it_is in/into/on present: how nevertheless in/into/on future death eternal will_follow.

UGNT ἀντὶ τοῦ λέγειν ὑμᾶς, ἐὰν ὁ Κύριος θελήσῃ, καὶ ζήσομεν καὶ ποιήσομεν, τοῦτο ἢ ἐκεῖνο.
(anti tou legein humas, ean ho Kurios thelaʸsaʸ, kai zaʸsomen kai poiaʸsomen, touto aʸ ekeino.)

SBL-GNT ἀντὶ τοῦ λέγειν ὑμᾶς· Ἐὰν ὁ κύριος ⸀θελήσῃ, καὶ ⸀ζήσομεν καὶ ⸀ποιήσομεν τοῦτο ἢ ἐκεῖνο.
(anti tou legein humas; Ean ho kurios ⸀thelaʸsaʸ, kai ⸀zaʸsomen kai ⸀poiaʸsomen touto aʸ ekeino.)

RP-GNT Ἀντὶ τοῦ λέγειν ὑμᾶς, Ἐὰν ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ, καὶ ζήσωμεν, καὶ ποιήσωμεν τοῦτο ἢ ἐκεῖνο.
(Anti tou legein humas, Ean ho kurios thelaʸsaʸ, kai zaʸsōmen, kai poiaʸsōmen touto aʸ ekeino.)

TC-GNT Ἀντὶ τοῦ λέγειν ὑμᾶς, Ἐὰν ὁ Κύριος [fn]θελήσῃ, καὶ [fn]ζήσωμεν, καὶ [fn]ποιήσωμεν τοῦτο ἢ ἐκεῖνο.
(Anti tou legein humas, Ean ho Kurios thelaʸsaʸ, kai zaʸsōmen, kai poiaʸsōmen touto aʸ ekeino. )

4:15 θεληση ¦ θελη WH

4:15 ζησωμεν ¦ ζησομεν ANT CT SCR

4:15 ποιησωμεν ¦ ποιησομεν ANT CT SCR

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

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:13–17: Trust in the Lord and not in yourselves

In this section, James rebuked the merchants who made plans to get rich but did not think about God. It is not clear whether or not the people whom James was denouncing belonged to the Christian community. It may be that among the Jewish traders of the time there were some who claimed to follow Christ but were not living as they should. On the other hand, there were no doubt many rich traders and merchants outside the church (see the references to “the rich” in 2:6–7), and James’ words would have served as a warning to Christians not to desire to follow their example.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Don’t Brag About Your Plans for the Future (GW)

Warning against Boasting (GNT)

Paragraph 4:13–17

James described the way traders made plans to get rich (4:13). Then he explained that those who think like that are ignoring God (4:14). He told them that instead they ought to submit to the Lord’s will (4:15). He reminded them that their behavior was arrogant (4:16) and warned them that God considered it sinful (4:17).

4:15a

Instead, you ought to say,

Instead of what you^(plur) are saying, you should say,
Rather than talking about your^(plur) plans, what you should say is this:

Instead, you ought to say: The clause Instead, you ought to say means “Rather than saying today or tomorrow we will do this and that, you ought to saywhat follows.” Some English versions do not use the word Instead. They use another construction to indicate the contrast between this verse and 4:13.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

What you should say is this: (GNT)

Instead of saying that, here is what you should say

Rather than talking about your plans, what you should say is this:

4:15b

“If the Lord is willing,

“If the Lord wants/desires it,
“If it pleases the Lord God,

If the Lord is willing: The clause If the Lord is willing means “If the Lord wants us to live and do these things.” Some other ways to translate this clause are:

If the Lord wants

If the Lord desires it

If the Lord agrees

If the Lord God likes

the Lord: The phrase the Lord refers to God. It means “Master”, the One who has supreme authority over everyone and everything. See the note at 4:10a. See also Lord in the Glossary.

4:15c

we will live

we will continue to live
then we will still be alive

we will live: The Greek verb that the BSB translates here as we will live means “we shall continue to live.” For example:

we shall still be alive (JBP)

In some languages, it may be necessary to add a word to indicate that this verb begins the second part of an “if” clause. For example:

then we will live (NET)

4:15d

and do this or that.”

and we will do this event or that event.”
and be able to go and do this business.”

and do this or that: The Greek expression that the BSB translates as this or that refers to the particular event that the traders planned to do.See Davids (1982), page 173; Hiebert, page 278. Most commentators do not discuss this point. They planned to do business and make money.

Some other ways to translate this expression are:

We will do these things. (CEV)

carry out our plans (GW)

do so-and-so (JBP)

James was saying that people should continue to make definite plans but should make them subject to the condition: “If it is the Lord’s will.”

General Comment on 4:15b–d

In some languages, it will be necessary to include parts of 4:15c–d in the “If” clause of 4:15c. For example:

^bIf the Lord wants us ^cto live ^dand do this or that, it will happen.

If the Lord wants us to live, we will live. If he wants us to do this or that, we will do it.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

καὶ ζήσομεν καὶ ποιήσομεν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἀντί τοῦ λέγειν ὑμᾶς Ἐάν ὁ Κύριος θελήσῃ καί ζήσομεν καί ποιήσομεν τοῦτο ἤ ἐκεῖνο)

James is using a construction that puts the word “and” before two things that would both be the case, more literally “and we will live and we will do.” Your language may have a similar construction that you could use here. If not, it may not be necessary for you to translate the first occurrence of “and,” which ULT represents as both. (The term both in ULT does not mean “the two of us.”) Alternate translation: [we will live and we will do]

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

καὶ ζήσομεν καὶ ποιήσομεν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἀντί τοῦ λέγειν ὑμᾶς Ἐάν ὁ Κύριος θελήσῃ καί ζήσομεν καί ποιήσομεν τοῦτο ἤ ἐκεῖνο)

These people would be speaking only of themselves, so the pronoun we is exclusive.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

τοῦτο ἢ ἐκεῖνο

this (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἀντί τοῦ λέγειν ὑμᾶς Ἐάν ὁ Κύριος θελήσῃ καί ζήσομεν καί ποιήσομεν τοῦτο ἤ ἐκεῖνο)

This is an idiom. No specific actions are intended. Your language may have a comparable idiom that you can use in your translation. Alternate translation: [such-and-such]