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ParallelVerse GENEXOLEVNUMDEUJOBJOSJDGRUTH1 SAM2 SAMPSAAMOSHOS1 KI2 KI1 CHR2 CHRPROVECCSNGJOELMICISAZEPHABJERLAMYNA (JNA)NAHOBADANEZEEZRAESTNEHHAGZECMALLAOGESLESESGDNG2 PSTOBJDTWISSIRBARLJEPAZSUSBELMAN1 MAC2 MAC3 MAC4 MACYHN (JHN)MARKMATLUKEACTsYACGAL1 TH2 TH1 COR2 CORROMCOLPHMEPHPHP1 TIMTIT1 PET2 PET2 TIMHEBYUD (JUD)1 YHN (1 JHN)2 YHN (2 JHN)3 YHN (3 JHN)REV

Yacob/(James) IntroC1C2C3C4C5

Yac 5 V1V2V4V5V6V7V8V9V10V11V12V13V14V15V16V17V18V19V20

Parallel YAC 5:3

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.

BI Yac 5:3 ©

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal(All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV)Your gold and silver has corroded, and that corrosion will speak out against you and will eat away your bodies like fire because you stored up wealth in this final age.OET logo mark

OET-LVThe gold of_you_all and the silver has_been_corroded, and the rust of_them for a_testimony to_you_all will_be, and will_be_consuming the fleshes of_you_all like fire.
You_all_stored_up in the_last days.
OET logo mark

SR-GNT χρυσὸς ὑμῶν καὶ ἄργυρος κατίωται, καὶ ἰὸς αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται, καὶ φάγεται τὰς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ. Ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις.
   (Ho ⱪrusos humōn kai ho arguros katiōtai, kai ho ios autōn eis marturion humin estai, kai fagetai tas sarkas humōn hōs pur. Ethaʸsaurisate en esⱪatais haʸmerais.)

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

ULTYour gold and silver have been tarnished, and their rust will be for a testimony against you and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up in the last days.

USTYour gold and silver are worthless, as though they were corroded. When God judges you, this worthless wealth of yours will be evidence that you are guilty of being greedy. Just as rust and fire destroy things, God will severely punish you. You should not have been trying to get richer and richer knowing that Jesus was going to return. When he returns, your riches will be worthless.

BSBYour gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire.
§ You have hoarded treasure in [the] last days.

MSB (Same as BSB above)

BLBYour gold and silver have corroded, and their rust will be for a testimony against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have treasured up in the last days.


AICNTYour gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days.

OEBYour gold and silver are rusted; and the rust on them will be evidence against you, and will eat into your flesh. It was fire, so to speak, that you stored up for yourselves in these last days.

WEBBEYour gold and your silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be for a testimony against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up your treasure in the last days.

WMBB (Same as above)

NETYour gold and silver have rusted and their rust will be a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have hoarded treasure!

LSVyour gold and silver have rotted, and the rust of them will be to you for a testimony, and will eat your flesh as fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days!

FBVYour gold and your silver are corroded, and this corrosion will be evidence against you, eating away your flesh like fire. You hoarded up your wealth in these last days.

TCNTYour gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be a testimony against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.

T4TYour gold and silver are worthless [MET], as though they were corroded. When God judges you, this worthless wealth [MTY] of yours will be evidence [PRS] that you are guilty of being greedy, and as rust and fire destroy [MET, SYN] things, God will severely punish you [SIM]. You have in vain/uselesslystored up/accumulated► wealth at a time when God is about to judge you [MTY].

LEBYour gold and silver have become corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you, and it will consume your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days.

BBEYour gold and your silver are wasted and their waste will be a witness against you, burning into your flesh. You have put by your store in the last days.

MoffYou have been storing up treasure in the very last days;
 ⇔ your gold and silver lie rusted over,
 ⇔ and their rust will be evidence against you,
 ⇔ it will devour your flesh like fire.

Wymthyour gold and your silver have become covered with rust, and the rust on them will give evidence against you, and will eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded up wealth in these last days.

ASVYour gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have laid up your treasure in the last days.

DRAYour gold and silver is cankered: and the rust of them shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up to yourselves wrath against the last days.

YLTyour gold and silver have rotted, and the rust of them for a testimony shall be to you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye made treasure in the last days!

DrbyYour gold and silver is eaten away, and their canker shall be for a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have heaped up treasure in [the] last days.

RVYour gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have laid up your treasure in the last days.
   (Your gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye/You_all have laid up your treasure in the last days. )

SLTYour gold and silver is become rusty; and their rust shall be for a witness to you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have gathered up treasures in the last days.

WbstrYour gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have amassed treasure for the last days.

KJB-1769Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
   (Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye/You_all have heaped treasure together for the last days. )

KJB-1611Your gold and siluer is cankered, and the rust of them shall bee a witnesse against you, and shall eate your flesh as it were fire: ye haue heaped treasure together for the last dayes.
   (Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

BshpsYour golde and siluer is cankred, and the rust of them shalbe a witnesse agaynst you, and shall eate your fleshe as it were fyre. Ye haue heaped treasure together in your last dayes.
   (Your gold and silver is cankred, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye/You_all have heaped treasure together in your last days.)

GnvaYour gold and siluer is cankred, and the rust of them shalbe a witnesse against you, and shall eate your flesh, as it were fire. Ye haue heaped vp treasure for the last dayes.
   (Your gold and silver is cankred, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh, as it were fire. Ye/You_all have heaped up treasure for the last days. )

CvdlYoure golde & yor siluer are cancred, & the rust of them shalbe a witnes vnto you, & shal eate youre flesshe, as it were fyre. Ye haue heaped treasure togedder in yor last dayes:
   (Your gold and your silver are cancred, and the rust of them shall be a witness unto you, and shall eat your(pl) flesh, as it were fire. Ye/You_all have heaped treasure together in your last days:)

TNTYoure golde and youre silver are cankred and the rust of them shalbe a witnes vnto you and shall eate youre flesshe as it were fyre. Ye have heaped treasure togedder in youre last dayes:
   (Your gold and your(pl) silver are cankred and the rust of them shall be a witness unto you and shall eat your(pl) flesh as it were fire. Ye/You_all have heaped treasure together in your(pl) last days: )

WyclYoure gold and siluer hath rustid, and the rust of hem schal be to you in to witnessyng, and schal ete youre fleischis, as fier. Ye han tresourid to you wraththe in the last daies.
   (Your gold and silver hath/has rustid, and the rust of hem shall be to you in to witnessing, and shall eat your(pl) flesh, as fire. Ye/You_all have treasureid to you wrath in the last days.)

LuthEuer Gold und Silber ist verrostet, und ihr Rost wird euch zum Zeugnis sein und wird euer Fleisch fressen wie ein Feuer. Ihr habt euch Schätze gesammelt an den letzten Tagen.
   (Euer Gold and silver(n) is verrostet, and you(pl)/their/her Rost becomes you for_the transcript be and becomes your(pl) flesh eat as/like a fire(n). You(pl) have you treasures(n) collected at/to the last days.)

ClVgAurum et argentum vestrum æruginavit: et ærugo eorum in testimonium vobis erit, et manducabit carnes vestras sicut ignis. Thesaurizastis vobis iram in novissimis diebus.[fn]
   (Aurum and silver of_you airuginavit: and airugo their in/into/on testimony to_you(pl) will_be, and will_eat meats your like fire. Thesaurizastis to_you(pl) anger in/into/on the_latest days. )


5.3 Et ærugo. BED. Non solum immisericordes divites visibilis genennæ ignis cruciabit, etc., usque ad et propterea gravius punietur. In testimonium. Id est ad augmentum pœnarum, id est ut hanc visibiliter intuendo, majores cruciatus sustineatis. Manducabit carnes. Id est corpora vel carnales concupiscentias, quia luxuriosas animas, et exterius sæviens flamma cruciabit, et interius pungens dolor suæ tenaciæ accusabit. Sicut ignis, qui consumit metalla et cæteras res, sic ærugo vestras carnes.


5.3 And airugo. BED. Not/No only immisericordes rich visible genennæ fire cruciabit, etc., until to and therefore heavier will_be_punished. In testimony. That it_is to augmentum punishmentrum, that it_is as this visibiliter intuendo, elders tortured hold_onatis. Manducabit meats. That it_is bodies or carnal desires, because luxuriosas souls, and outside sæviens flame cruciabit, and inside pungens pain his/her_own tenaciæ accusabit. Like fire, who/which consumit metals and the_rests res, so airugo your meats.

UGNTὁ χρυσὸς ὑμῶν καὶ ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται, καὶ ὁ ἰὸς αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται, καὶ φάγεται τὰς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ. ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις.
   (ho ⱪrusos humōn kai ho arguros katiōtai, kai ho ios autōn eis marturion humin estai, kai fagetai tas sarkas humōn hōs pur. ethaʸsaurisate en esⱪatais haʸmerais.)

SBL-GNTὁ χρυσὸς ὑμῶν καὶ ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται, καὶ ὁ ἰὸς αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται καὶ φάγεται τὰς σάρκας ὑμῶν· ὡς πῦρ ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις.
   (ho ⱪrusos humōn kai ho arguros katiōtai, kai ho ios autōn eis marturion humin estai kai fagetai tas sarkas humōn; hōs pur ethaʸsaurisate en esⱪatais haʸmerais.)

RP-GNTὁ χρυσὸς ὑμῶν καὶ ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται, καὶ ὁ ἰὸς αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται, καὶ φάγεται τὰς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ. Ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις.
   (ho ⱪrusos humōn kai ho arguros katiōtai, kai ho ios autōn eis marturion humin estai, kai fagetai tas sarkas humōn hōs pur. Ethaʸsaurisate en esⱪatais haʸmerais.)

TC-GNTὁ χρυσὸς ὑμῶν καὶ ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται, καὶ ὁ ἰὸς αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται, καὶ φάγεται τὰς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ. Ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις.
   (ho ⱪrusos humōn kai ho arguros katiōtai, kai ho ios autōn eis marturion humin estai, kai fagetai tas sarkas humōn hōs pur. Ethaʸsaurisate en esⱪatais haʸmerais. )

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


TSNTyndale Study Notes:

5:3 Material wealth, represented by gold and silver, is worthless in the face of God’s judgment. In fact, it will testify against them because it was unjustly gotten (5:4) and wickedly used (5:5-6).

TTNTyndale 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


SOTNSIL 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

5:3a

Your gold and silver are corroded.

gold and silver: The words gold and silver may refer here to coins made of gold and silver. But the phrase may also include jewelry and drinking cups or bowls made of gold and silver.

If your language does not have words for both gold and silver, it may be possible to say:

gold and other fine metal

money (CEV)

precious/expensive metals

corroded: The Greek word that the BSB translates as corroded literally means “rusted.” It is the process that forms a reddish coating on metals such as iron when they get damp. The word implies that the metal is being spoiled or destroyed.

Pure gold and silver do not rust. But the gold and silver that most people have is not 100% pure, so it can rust. In addition, silver can tarnish (become blackened).

Some other ways to translate this word are:

rusted (CEV)

tarnished/blackened

5:3b

Their corrosion will testify against you

Their corrosion will testify against you: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as Their corrosion will testify against you is literally “Their corrosion will be a witness to/for you.” For example:

their rust will be a witness against you (NET)

This sentence is a figure of speech called personification. In this personification, James speaks of corrosion as if it were a person who will testify in court. James meant that on the day when God will judge all people, the corrosion of the gold and silver will be evidence that rich people had misused their possessions. They misused their possessions by hoarding them.An alternate understanding of the sense in which the rust “will testify against them” is that the rust is evidence of the temporary and perishable (and therefore worthless) nature of riches. However, if this is the meaning, then the rust is less a condemning testimony in court and more a “teaching witness” that reveals the true nature and value of riches. But this is less in keeping with the context of judgment coming upon them in the last days. Rich people had more possessions than they needed, but they did not give them to help others.

There are at least two ways to translate this:

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

that rust will be a proof that you were wrong (NCV)

their very tarnish will be the evidence of your wicked hoarding (JBP)

the rust will be the sign of your(plur) sin of being greedy

that rust will make it clear that you(plur) have been selfish with your wealth

Their corrosion: The phrase Their corrosion refers to the corrosion or rust of the gold and silver in 5:3a. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

the same corrosion (NJB)

their rust (RSV)

that rust (NCV)

this will be evidence

5:3c

and consume your flesh like fire.

and consume your flesh: The subject of this clause is “their corrosion” from 5:3b. The corrosion will consume your flesh. James connected the idea that their wealth is being destroyed by rust with the idea that they too will be destroyed. That is, they will be judged guilty by God and punished.

This whole expression is figurative language. Here “corrosion” (rust) refers to God’s judging and punishing rich people based on the evidence of their greed. The verb consume is used in an extended sense to mean “destroy.” The noun flesh refers to the entire “body.” (It does not refer to just the skin.) So this clause refers to God punishing (the bodies of) these rich people.

Some ways to translate this clause are:

like fire: The phrase like fire is a comparison called a simile. In this simile, rust is compared to fire. One way that they are similar is that both destroy or consume things. Fire is a common image of God’s judgment in both the Old Testament scriptures (see, for example, Isaiah 30:27, 33) and in Jesus’ teaching (see, for example, Matthew 25:41).

Some ways to translate this phrase are:

5:3d

You have hoarded treasure in the last days.

You have hoarded treasure: The Greek word that the BSB translates as You have hoarded treasure means “you have stored, gathered, or saved treasure.” This refers to all the possessions the rich people had gathered (in 5:2–3a).

Some other ways to translate this word are:

You have piled up riches (GNT)

You have stored up riches (GW)

you keep on storing up wealth (CEV)

You(plur) have accumulated many things for yourselves

in the last days: There are two ways to interpret the phrase that the BSB translates as in the last days:

  1. It means in the time of the last days. James believed that he was already living in the final days before the end of the world. He was implying that it was foolish for rich people to continue gathering more and more possessions. They ought to realize that God would soon judge everyone in the world. For example, the REB says:

    in an age that is near its close (BSB, NIV, GNT, REB, NASB, ESV, NET, GW)

  2. It means in preparation for the last days. According to this interpretation, the rich were hoarding wealth to prepare for the difficult times in the last days. For example, the RSV says:

    for the last days (RSV, NJB, NCV, KJV, NLT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The Greek preposition normally means “in” rather than “for.” Also, the expression “the last days” normally refers to all of the present age since the Day of Pentecost. James was implying that the days we live in will soon end with God’s Day of Judgment.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

during these last days

in this last period of time before God judges people

General Comment on 5:3d

James rebuked these rich people for hoarding wealth in the last days. This was a foolish thing to do. People hoard wealth in order to have it for the future. But if it is the last days, the world as they knew it would soon come to an end and judgment would follow. In your translation, you may want to show that hoarding wealth is not the wise or logical thing to do in the last days. For example:

You have foolishly hoarded wealth in the last days.

The world is about to end, but/yet you are storing up wealth.


UTNuW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / pastforfuture

ὁ χρυσὸς ὑμῶν καὶ ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται

the the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ χρυσός ὑμῶν καί ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται καί ὁ ἰός αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται καί φάγεται τάς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ Ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις)

James is using the past tense to refer to something 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 gold and silver are going to be tarnished]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ὁ χρυσὸς ὑμῶν καὶ ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται

the the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ χρυσός ὑμῶν καί ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται καί ὁ ἰός αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται καί φάγεται τάς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ Ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις)

If your language does not use this passive form, you can express this with an active form. Alternate translation: [Your gold and silver have tarnished] or [Your gold and silver are going to tarnish]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὁ χρυσὸς ὑμῶν καὶ ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται

the the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ χρυσός ὑμῶν καί ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται καί ὁ ἰός αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται καί φάγεται τάς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ Ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις)

Depending on the meaning of the statement You have stored up in the last days (See: the first note to that statement below), James may be saying that the gold and silver of the rich have become worthless. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly, as UST does.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

ὁ χρυσὸς ὑμῶν καὶ ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται

the the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ χρυσός ὑμῶν καί ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται καί ὁ ἰός αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται καί φάγεται τάς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ Ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις)

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

Note 5 topic: translate-versebridge

καὶ ὁ ἰὸς αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ χρυσός ὑμῶν καί ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται καί ὁ ἰός αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται καί φάγεται τάς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ Ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις)

If you created a verse bridge and you also combined the statement “your gold and silver have been tarnished” with the two clauses in [5:2](../05/02.md), it would be helpful to begin a new sentence here and to use a general expression that would apply to everything that these rich people own. Alternate translation: [The ruins of your possessions will be for a testimony against you] or [The ruins of your possessions will testify against you]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ὁ ἰὸς αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται

the the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ χρυσός ὑμῶν καί ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται καί ὁ ἰός αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται καί φάγεται τάς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ Ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις)

James is speaking of this rust as if it would be presented as evidence in a case against the rich people. Alternate translation: [the rust on your gold and silver will show that you did the wrong thing]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὁ ἰὸς αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται

the the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ χρυσός ὑμῶν καί ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται καί ὁ ἰός αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται καί φάγεται τάς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ Ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις)

If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state explicitly what wrong thing these rich people have done, as evidenced by this rust. Alternate translation: [the rust of your gold and silver will show that you have done the wrong thing by devoting yourselves to accumulating wealth rather than to helping other people]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

φάγεται τὰς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ

˓will_be˒_consuming (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ χρυσός ὑμῶν καί ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται καί ὁ ἰός αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται καί φάγεται τάς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ Ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις)

James is using the word flesh to mean the human body, by association with the way the body is made of flesh. Alternate translation: [it will eat your bodies]

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

φάγεται τὰς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ

˓will_be˒_consuming (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ χρυσός ὑμῶν καί ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται καί ὁ ἰός αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται καί φάγεται τάς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ Ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις)

James is saying that this rust will corrode and consume the owners of the gold and silver that it is also corroding. Alternate translation: [it will consume you] or [it will ruin you]

Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

ὡς πῦρ

like fire

It may be helpful to express the meaning of this simile more fully. Alternate translation: [just as fire consumes everything that it burns] or [just as fire ruins everything that it burns]

Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ χρυσός ὑμῶν καί ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται καί ὁ ἰός αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται καί φάγεται τάς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ Ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις)

If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state explicitly what these rich people have stored up and why it was wrong for them to do that. This could mean: (1) they have accumulated riches in the last days, that is, in the time just before Jesus returns. That would be wrong because once Jesus returns, earthly riches will no longer have any value. Instead of trying to get more and more wealth, these people should have been helping others with what they had. Alternate translation: [Instead of helping others, you have wrongly stored up wealth at a time when earthly riches are about to lose all of their value] (2) by their wrongdoing, such as he describes in [5:4–6](../05/04.md), these rich people have stored up punishment for themselves. Alternate translation: [God is just about to punish wrongdoers, and you have given God many reasons to punish you]

Note 12 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ χρυσός ὑμῶν καί ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται καί ὁ ἰός αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται καί φάγεται τάς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ Ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις)

If the first interpretation of this statement in the note just above is correct, then James is giving the reason for the results that he describes in the previous verse and in the earlier part of this verse. If you created a verse bridge as described in the first note to [5:2](../05/02.md), you could put this reason before the result by placing this statement first in that bridge.

Note 13 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις

˓the˒_last days

This is an idiom. Alternate translation: [the time just before Jesus returns]

BI Yac 5:3 ©