YAC 5:2 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=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 Your wealth is worthless, as though it were rotten. Your fine clothes are worthless, as though moths had ruined them.

AICNT Your wealth has rotted, and your garments have become moth-eaten.

OEB Your riches have wasted away, and your clothes have become moth-eaten.

WEBBE Your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Your riches have rotted and your clothing has become moth-eaten.

LSV your riches have rotted, and your garments have become moth-eaten;

FBV Your wealth is ruined, and your clothes have been eaten by moths.

TCNT Your riches have rotted, and your garments are moth-eaten.

T4T Your wealth of various kinds is worthless [MET], as though it were rotted. Your fine clothes are worthless [MET], as though termites had ruined them.

LEB Your wealth has rotted, and your clothing has become moth-eaten.

BBE Your wealth is unclean and insects have made holes in your clothing.

Moff your wealth lies rotting, and your clothes are moth-eaten;
¶ 

Wymth Your treasures have rotted, and your piles of clothing are moth-eaten;

ASV Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.

DRA Your riches are corrupted: and your garments are motheaten.

YLT your riches have rotted, and your garments have become moth-eaten;

Drby Your wealth is become rotten, and your garments moth-eaten.

RV Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.

SLT Your riches have become corrupted, and your garments have been moth eaten;

Wbstr Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.

KJB-1769 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.

KJB-1611 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments motheaten:

Bshps Your riches is corrupt, your garmentes are motheaten:
(Your riches is corrupt, your garments are motheaten:)

Gnva Your riches are corrupt, and your garments are moth eaten.

Cvdl Youre riches is corrupte, youre garmetes are motheaten.
(Your riches is corrupt, your(pl) garments are motheaten.)

TNT Youre ryches is corrupte youre garmentes are motheaten.
(Your riches is corrupt your(pl) garments are motheaten. )

Wycl Youre richessis ben rotun, and youre clothis ben etun of mouytis.
(Your riches been rotten, and your(pl) clothes been etun of mouytis.)

Luth Euer Reichtum ist verfaulet; eure Kleider sind mottenfräßig worden.
(Euer wealth/abundance is verfaulet; your(pl) clothes are mottenfräßig been.)

ClVg Divitiæ vestræ putrefactæ sunt, et vestimenta vestra a tineis comesta sunt.
(Wealth yours putrefactæ are, and clothes your from tineis comesta are. )

UGNT ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπεν, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γέγονεν.
(ho ploutos humōn sesaʸpen, kai ta himatia humōn saʸtobrōta gegonen.)

SBL-GNT ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπεν, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γέγονεν,
(ho ploutos humōn sesaʸpen, kai ta himatia humōn saʸtobrōta gegonen,)

RP-GNT Ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπεν, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γέγονεν·
(Ho ploutos humōn sesaʸpen, kai ta himatia humōn saʸtobrōta gegonen;)

TC-GNT Ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπε, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γέγονεν·
(Ho ploutos humōn sesaʸpe, kai ta himatia humōn saʸtobrōta gegonen; )

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

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

The Coming of the Lord as Judge

The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Christ neglect to show mercy (2:13), befriend the world (4:4), sin through speech (4:11; 5:9), or live to satisfy evil desires (4:1, 16), they, too, will be judged by the law that was intended to set them free (2:12).

The Lord’s future coming influences present realities. God already honors the faithful poor and humiliates the exploitative rich (1:9-10; 5:2-3). Christ’s followers have already become God’s prized possession as God is restoring all things (1:18). James declares that we should obey the royal law of the messianic kingdom (2:8), of which followers of Christ have become heirs (2:5).

The coming of the Lord may not be immediate, so James exhorts Christians to endure (1:3-4) and wait patiently for Christ’s return (5:7-8). They will receive the crown of eternal life (1:12) and reap the harvest of righteousness sown by a life of faithfulness to God (3:18).

In view of impending judgment, James exhorts Christ’s followers to resist the devil and to humble themselves before God (4:7). We must grieve over sin, live with pure intentions and behavior (4:8-9), and rescue any Christian brother or sister who is headed toward death (5:19-20). Like Elijah, we must practice faith, prayer, and confession (5:13-18). Like Job, we must endure suffering, discovering in the end the scope of God’s kindness and mercy (4:10; 5:11).

Passages for Further Study

1 Sam 2:10; Pss 2:7-12; 96:11-13; Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3; Matt 16:27; Luke 12:35-48; 18:8; John 5:22-30; Acts 10:42; 1 Cor 4:5; Jas 5:7-9; 1 Jn 2:28

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:1–6: James warned rich people who mistreat others

This section consists of a series of warnings that God is about to condemn rich people who have lived in luxury and exploited poor people. James wrote in the style of the Old Testament prophets using very harsh language and vivid, even frightening, images of God’s judgment. In your translation, you should use strong language that communicates the certainty of God’s judgment.

James wrote as though he were addressing rich people directly (“you rich people”). But he was not really expecting these rich people to read or to hear his letter. He was writing about rich people who were certainly unbelievers. They were not members of the Christian community. So this section is actually an encouragement to Christians. Many Christians were poor and were being exploited by wealthy landowners. James encouraged these Christians by telling them that, though they were suffering, God would judge the rich. He also wanted to warn them not to envy the rich and not to think or live like them.

In some languages, it will be more natural to use third person forms (“they,” “their,” “them”) throughout this section instead of second person forms (“you”). For example:

^1aRich people ^1bshould weep and wail ^1cbecause of the misery that is coming upon them. ^2aTheir wealth has rotted ^2band moths have eaten their clothes. ^3aTheir gold and silver are corroded. ^3bThis corrosion will testify against them ^3cand eat their flesh like fire. ^3dThey have hoarded wealth in the last days. ^4aLook! The wages they failed to pay the workmen who mowed their fields ^4bare crying out against them. ^4cThe cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. ^5aThey have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. ^5bThey have fattened themselves in the day of slaughter. ^6aThey have condemned and murdered innocent men, ^6bwho were not opposing them.

James does not condemn the rich simply because they are rich. He accuses them of specific things they have done wrong.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Warning to the Rich (GNT)

A warning to rich people who mistreat others

James encouraged the poor, mistreated believers by speaking about the judgment that will come to their rich oppressors

5:2a

Your riches have rotted

Your^(plur) riches are rotted/decayed,
Your^(plur) valuable goods will be destroyed.

Your riches have rotted: The clause Your riches have rotted is a general statement that all the possessions of the rich people will “spoil”Some commentators suggest that the Greek word that the BSB translates as riches refers specifically to grain (wheat). See Mayor, pages 148–149; Hiebert, page 285; Mitton, page 176; Tasker, page 110; Manton, page 403. They point out that there is evidence that the word translated riches originally referred in the ancient world to having plenty of grain stored in the granaries. Also, the word translated rotted usually means actual rotting, although it can mean decay in general. Thirdly, since 5:2a is connected by “and” to a clause that mentions a specific kind of possessions (5:2b), it seems likely that 5:2a also refers to a specific kind of possessions. Note also that Palestine was primarily an agricultural society, and see Luke 12:16–21. However, none of the major English versions translate this word as “grain.” or “be ruined.” In 5:2b and 5:3a James went on to mention which possessions in particular had spoiled. Use a word for rotted that goes well with riches. For example:

Your riches have decayed (GW)

Your richest goods are ruined (JBP)

This future event is so certain that James spoke of it as something that had already happened. This is typical prophetic style. In some languages, it is more natural to use the future tense here. For example:

Your^(plur) wealth will surely become worthless.

All the things that you have accumulated for yourselves will be destroyed.

5:2b

and moths have eaten your clothes.

and moths have eaten/spoiled your^(plur) fine/expensive clothes.
Insects/Termites/Ants will ruin your^(plur) clothes.

moths have eaten your clothes: The Greek word that the BSB translates as clothes refers to outer garments such as robes. In the biblical world, beautiful garments were very expensive, and people considered them as part of their wealth. (See Judges 14:12; 2 Kings 5:5; Acts 20:33). The larvae of moths could eat the cloth and make holes in it while the garment was stored.

As in 5:2a, this future event is so certain that James spoke of it as something that had already happened. In some languages, it is more natural to use the future tense here. For example:

moths will eat your clothes

If moths that eat clothes are not known in your area, you can use:

a more generic name. For example:
insects
an explanatory phrase
bugs that eat clothes
another insect that destroys clothes. For example:
termites
ants
cockroaches

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: translate-versebridge

If it would be helpful to your readers, you could combine [5:2](../05/02.md) and [5:3](../05/03.md) into a verse bridge. You could put the last sentence of [5:3](../05/03.md) first, followed by all of [5:2](../05/02.md) and then the rest of [5:3](../05/03.md). This would allow you to address several translation issues that are discussed in the notes to this verse and the next verse.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / pastforfuture

ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπεν, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γέγονεν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπεν καί τά ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γέγονεν)

James is using the past tense to refer to things that will happen in the future. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use the future tense in your translation. Alternate translation: [Your wealth is going to rot and your clothes are going to be eaten by moths]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπεν, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γέγονεν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπεν καί τά ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γέγονεν)

In these two clauses and in the first clause in the next verse (“your gold and silver have been tarnished”), James is using certain things that these rich people own to mean everything that they own. If you create a verse bridge, you could combine all of these clauses into a single sentence that expresses this meaning. (You would need to begin a new sentence right afterwards.) Alternate translation: [Everything of value that you own is going to be ruined]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπεν, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γέγονεν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπεν καί τά ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γέγονεν)

Depending on the meaning of the statement “you have stored up in the last days” in the next verse (See: the note to that statement), James may be saying that the wealth and expensive clothing of the rich have become worthless. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly, as UST does.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπεν, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γέγονεν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπεν καί τά ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γέγονεν)

If you decide to indicate explicitly that James is saying that the wealth and expensive clothing of the rich have become worthless, you could do that by expressing his past-for-future statement as a simile, as UST does.

Parallel YAC 5:2

Section 5:1–6: James warned rich people who mistreat others

5:2a

5:2b