Do Not Boast about Tomorrow (James 4:13–17)
1 ULT Do not boast about the next day, for you do not know what a day will bring forth. BSB BSB: Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
2 ULT Let a stranger praise you and not your mouth, a foreigner and not your lips. BSB BSB: Let another praise you, and not your own mouth—a stranger, and not your own lips.
3 ULT The heaviness of a stone and the weightiness of the sand, yet the vexation of a fool{ is} heavier than the two of them. BSB BSB: A stone is heavy and sand is a burden, but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.
4 ULT Cruelty of heat and a flood of nose, but who can stand to the face of jealousy? BSB BSB: Wrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?
5 ULT Better{ is} open rebuke than hidden love. BSB BSB: Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed.
6 ULT Faithful{ are} the wounds of one loving, but deceptive{ are} the kisses of one hating. BSB BSB: The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
7 ULT A satiated appetite tramples fresh honey, but{ for} the appetite of a hungry one everything bitter{ is} sweet. BSB BSB: The soul that is full loathes honey, but to a hungry soul, any bitter thing is sweet.
8 ULT Like a bird wandering from her nest, so{ is} a man who wanders from his place. BSB BSB: Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who wanders from his home.
9 ULT Oil and incense gladden the heart, and the sweetness of his friend{ is} from the counsel of the soul. BSB BSB: Oil and incense bring joy to the heart, and the counsel of a friend is sweetness to the soul.
10 ULT Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not enter the house of your brother in the day of your calamity. Better{ is} a nearby inhabitant than a distant brother. BSB BSB: Do not forsake your friend or your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.
11 ULT Be wise, my son, and gladden my heart and I shall return a word to one reproaching me. BSB BSB: Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, so that I can answer him who taunts me.
12 ULT A prudent one sees evil, he hides himself; naive ones pass on, they are fined. BSB BSB: The prudent see danger and take cover, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
13 ULT Take his garment when he has pledged{ for} a stranger, and on behalf of a foreign woman hold it in pledge. BSB BSB: Take the garment of him who posts security for a stranger; get collateral if it is for a foreigner.
14 ULT One who blesses his neighbor with a great voice in the rising morning, it will be considered a curse to him! BSB BSB: If one blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be counted to him as a curse.
15 ULT A continual dripping on a day of steady rain and a woman of quarrels are alike. BSB BSB: A constant dripping on a rainy day and a contentious woman are alike—
16 ULT The one hiding her hides the wind, and oil meets his right hand. BSB BSB: restraining her is like holding back the wind or grasping oil with one’s right hand.
17 ULT Iron sharpens against iron, and a man sharpens the face of his neighbor. BSB BSB: As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
18 ULT One guarding a fig tree will eat its fruit, and one protecting his master will be honored. BSB BSB: Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored.
19 ULT As the water, the face to the face, so the heart of the man, to the man. BSB BSB: As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the true man.
20 ULT Sheol and Abaddon are not satisfied, and the eyes of the man are not satisfied. BSB BSB: Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
21 ULT The smelting- pot{ is} for the silver and the furnace{ is} for the gold; so{ is} a man for the mouth of one who praises him. BSB BSB: A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but a man is tested by the praise accorded him.
22 ULT Even if you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle in the midst of ground grains, his folly will not turn away from on him. BSB BSB: Though you grind a fool like grain with mortar and a pestle, yet his folly will not depart from him.
23 ULT Know well the faces of your flock; set your heart to the herds. BSB BSB: Be sure to know the state of your flocks, and pay close attention to your herds;
24 ULT For treasure{ is} not to eternity, nor even a crown for generation and generation. BSB BSB: for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to every generation.
25 ULT The grass disappears, and fresh grass is seen, and the herbs of the mountains are gathered; BSB BSB: When hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered,
26 ULT lambs{ will be} for your clothing, and male goats the price of a field. BSB BSB: the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field.
27 ULT And{ there will be} enough milk of female goats for your food, for the food of your house, and life for your young women. BSB BSB: You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed you—food for your household and nourishment for your maidservants.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.