JAS 4:13-17

Do Not Boast about Tomorrow

13Do come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and will make a year there, and will trade, and will make a profit" —

14you who do not know the thing of tomorrow. What is the life of you? For you are a vapor, appearing for a little while, then also vanishing.

15Instead of you saying, "If the Lord shall wish, both we will live and we will do this or that."

16Now, however, you boast in your arrogances. All boasting such as this is evil.

17Therefore, to him knowing to do good and not doing it, it is sin to him.

In the world it was spoken into

In the 1st-century Greco-Roman world, trade and commerce were central to urban life, with merchants often traveling between cities to conduct business. The assumption of control over future plans—such as where to go, how long to stay, and what profits to make—reflects a common mindset among traders who relied on their own calculations and networks. However, this passage challenges such confidence by invoking the Jewish understanding of life’s fragility, likening it to a vapor that appears briefly and vanishes. This imagery resonates with Jewish wisdom traditions, such as Ecclesiastes, which emphasize the fleeting nature of human endeavors. The critique of boasting targets the arrogance of presuming control over the future, a stance that disregards divine sovereignty. The exhortation to say, 'If the Lord wills,' aligns with Jewish piety, acknowledging God’s ultimate authority over life and events. The audience, likely urban Christians familiar with trade, would hear this as a call to humility and dependence on God.

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How other translations render this

JAS 4:13

KJV: Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
BSB: Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.”
Koinōnos: Do come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and will make a year there, and will trade, and will make a profit" —

JAS 4:14

KJV: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
BSB: You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Koinōnos: you who do not know the thing of tomorrow. What is the life of you? For you are a vapor, appearing for a little while, then also vanishing.

JAS 4:15

KJV: For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
BSB: Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.”
Koinōnos: Instead of you saying, "If the Lord shall wish, both we will live and we will do this or that.

JAS 4:16

KJV: But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
BSB: As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil.
Koinōnos: Now, however, you boast in your arrogances. All boasting such as this is evil.

JAS 4:17

KJV: Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
BSB: Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.
Koinōnos: Therefore, to him knowing to do good and not doing it, it is sin to him.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

JAS 4:13

do come:The word translated 'do come' is an imperative, a command to action, often used to introduce a new thought or to urge someone to consider something. It carries a sense of 'come now' or 'listen up'.
and:The word translated 'and' here is more specific than a simple conjunction; it refers to engaging in trade or business, specifically traveling for commercial purposes. It implies active participation in commerce.

JAS 4:14

of you!:The term translated 'of you!' refers to a mist or vapor, something fleeting and insubstantial that quickly appears and then vanishes. It emphasizes the transient and ephemeral nature of life.

JAS 4:16

arrogance:The word translated 'arrogance' describes a boastful display or false pretense, often rooted in an overestimation of one's own importance or abilities. It implies an empty, showy pride.