James 4:15
New International Version
Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

New Living Translation
What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”

English Standard Version
Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

Berean Standard Bible
Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.”

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

King James Bible
For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

New King James Version
Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

New American Standard Bible
Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”

NASB 1995
Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”

NASB 1977
Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”

Amplified Bible
Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and we will do this or that.”

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

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

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

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Therefore, they should say, “If THE LORD JEHOVAH pleases, and we live, we shall do this or that.”

Contemporary English Version
You should say, "If the Lord lets us live, we will do these things."

Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Instead, you should say, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and carry out our plans."

Good News Translation
What you should say is this: "If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that."

International Standard Version
Instead you should say, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live—and do this or that."

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

Majority Standard Bible
Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.”

New American Bible
Instead you should say, “If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that.”

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

New Revised Standard Version
Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.”

New Heart English Bible
For you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that."

Webster's Bible Translation
Instead of that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

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

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

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

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Do Not Boast of Tomorrow
14You 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. 15Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.” 16As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil.…

Cross References
Acts 18:21
But as he left, he said, "I will come back to you if God is willing." And he set sail from Ephesus.

James 4:16
As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil.


Treasury of Scripture

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

If.

2 Samuel 15:25,26
And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation: …

Proverbs 19:21
There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

Lamentations 3:37
Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?

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Instead Live Ought Pleasure Right Wills
James 4
1. We are to strive against covetousness;
4. intemperance;
5. pride;
11. detraction and rash judgment of others;
13. and not to be boastful of our future plans.














(15) For that ye ought to say . . . .--Referring to James 4:13, in some such a continuation of reproof as this: Woe unto you that say, . . . . instead of saying, "If the Lord will". . . . In fact, it is a thing of the past, not of time, but completed action on the part of God--"If the Lord have willed it, we shall both live and do this or that." Such is far, be it noted, from Fatalism, in even its best form, as under the teaching of Islam. The sovereignty of God is acknowledged, but with it is plainly recognised the existence of man's free will, dependent, however, on the permission of the Most High for its fleeting duration and power. St. Paul speaks in similar tone of coming to Corinth, "if the Lord will" (1Corinthians 4:19); and "God willing" (D.V.), "the reference of all the contingencies of the future to One supremely wise and loving Will, has been in all ages of Christendom the stay and strength of devout souls."

Verse 15. - For that ye ought to say (ἀντὶ τοῦ λέγειν); literally, instead of your saying; ἀντὶ τοῦ, with the infinitive, "saepe apud Graecos" (Grimm). This verse follows in thought on ver. 13, ver. 14 having been parenthetical. "Go to now, ye that say... instead of your saying (as ye ought), If the Lord will," etc. Once more the text requires correction, as the futures ζήσομεν and ποιήσομεν should be read (with א, A, B), instead of the subjunctives of the Received Text. It is generally agreed now that the verse should be rendered," If the Lord will, we shall both live and do this or that." But it is possible to divide it differently, and to render as follows: "If the Lord will, and we live, we shall also do this or that." Vulgate, si Dominus voluerit et si [omit si, Codex Amiat.] vixerimus, faciemus, etc. (cf. Winer, 'Grammar of N.T. Greek,' p. 357).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Instead,
Ἀντὶ (Anti)
Preposition
Strong's 473: A primary particle; opposite, i.e. Instead or because of.

you [ought]
ὑμᾶς (hymas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

to say,
λέγειν (legein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

“If
Ἐὰν (Ean)
Conjunction
Strong's 1437: If. From ei and an; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Lord
Κύριος (Kyrios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

is willing,
θελήσῃ (thelēsē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2309: To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design.

we will live
ζήσομεν (zēsomen)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 2198: To live, be alive. A primary verb; to live.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

do
ποιήσομεν (poiēsomen)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

this
τοῦτο (touto)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

or
(ē)
Conjunction
Strong's 2228: Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.

that.”
ἐκεῖνο (ekeino)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 1565: That, that one there, yonder. From ekei; that one (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed.


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NT Letters: James 4:15 For you ought to say If (Ja Jas. Jam)
James 4:14
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