James 4:13

Some of you are arrogantly saying, “Today or tomorrow we will go to a certain city. We will spend a year there and we will buy and sell things and earn a lot of money.” Now, you listen to me!

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

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:

In Context

12But in fact, there is only one who has the authority to tell people what is right to do and to condemn them, and that is God. He alone is able to save people or to destroy people. So, ◄ you (sg) certainly have no right to decide how God should punish other people./who are you to decide how God should punish other people?► [RHQ]

14You should not talk like that, because you do not know what will happen tomorrow, and you do not know how long you will live! Your life is short [MET], like a mist that appears for a short time and then disappears.

Read all of James 4

Cross References

Genesis 11:3Then they said to each other, “◄Hey/Come on►, let’s form bricks and bake them to make them hard, for building!” So they used bricks instead of stones, and used tar instead of ◄mortar/a mixture of cement, sand and lime► to hold them together.

Proverbs 27:1Do not boast about what you will do tomorrow, because you do not know what will happen [PRS] on any day.

Isaiah 5:5So, I will now tell you what I will do to Judah, the place that is like my vineyard. I will cut down the hedges, and they will be destroyed. I will tear down the walls of the cities and allow wild animals to trample the land.

Isaiah 56:11And they are like greedy dogs; they never get all that they want. They are supposed to lead the people, like good shepherds lead their flocks, but they are ignorant, and they each do whatever they want to do.

Luke 12:17So he said to himself, ‘I do not know what to do, because I do not have any place big enough to store all my crops!’

James 5:1Now I have something to say to the rich people who do not believe in Christ and who ◄ oppress you/cause you to suffer►. Listen to me, you rich people! You should weep and wail loudly [DOU] because you will experience terrible troubles [PRS]!

Matthew Henry on James 4:12-17

Caution against Slander; Caution against Presumption. ( a. d. 61.) 11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? 13 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… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

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