unfoldingWord® Translation Questions
v88
James
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unfoldingWord® Translation Questions
Date: 2026-01-14
Version: v88
Published by: unfoldingWord®
unfoldingWord® Literal Text
Date: 2026-01-14
Version: v88
Published by: unfoldingWord®
unfoldingWord® Simplified Text
Date: 2026-01-14
Version: v88
Published by: unfoldingWord®
Table of Contents
James
James 1
James 1:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:1ULT:
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes {that are} in the dispersion: Rejoice!
UST:
I, James, serve God and the Lord Jesus the Messiah. I am writing this letter to you who believe in Jesus and are living in various parts of the Roman Empire. I greet you all.
To whom did James write this letter?
James wrote this letter to the twelve tribes that were scattered.
James 1:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:2ULT:
Consider {it} all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various trials,
UST:
My fellow believers, consider it something to rejoice over greatly when you experience various kinds of hardships.
When experiencing troubles, what attitude does James say his readers should have?
James says to consider it all joy when experiencing troubles.
James 1:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:3ULT:
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
UST:
Understand that as you trust God in hardships, this helps you to become a stronger person.
What does the testing of our faith produce?
The testing of our faith produces endurance.
James 1:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:4ULT:
But let the endurance have a perfect work, so that you may be perfect and whole, lacking in nothing.
UST:
Endure hardships to their very end, so that you may follow the Messiah in every way. Then you will not fail to do well.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 1:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:5ULT:
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from God, the one giving to all generously and not reproaching, and it will be given to him.
UST:
If anyone of you needs to know what to do, let him ask God, and God will tell him. God gives generously to everyone. God does not scold people {who ask for things}.
For what should we ask from God if we need it?
We should ask God for wisdom if we need it.
James 1:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:6ULT:
But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing, for the one doubting has become like a wave of the sea, wind-blown and tossed.
UST:
But when you pray to God, you must trust him to answer you. Do not doubt that he will answer and help you. People who doubt God first decide to do one thing, but then they want to do something else. They never settle on a single course of action.
What is a doubter like?
Someone who doubts is like a wave in the sea that is tossed around by the wind.
James 1:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:7ULT:
For let that man not think that he will receive anything from the Lord,
UST:
Indeed, people who doubt should not think that God the Lord will give them what they ask for {so uncertainly}.
What should someone who asks with doubting expect to receive? (1:7-8)
Someone who asks with doubting should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
James 1:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:8ULT:
a double-minded man, unsettled in all his ways.
UST:
People like this can never decide what to do. They make a plan, but then they do not follow it.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 1:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:9ULT:
Now let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,
UST:
Believers who do not have much money should be glad, because God has honored them.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 1:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:10ULT:
but the rich in his lowliness, because he will pass away like a flower of the grass.
UST:
But believers who have a lot of money should be glad that God has humbled them {by showing them that their wealth does not make them better than other people}. After all, like wildflowers {that bloom for only a short time and then wither}, rich believers will die {like anyone else}.
Why should the rich be humble?
The rich should be humble because he will pass away just like the flowers.
James 1:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:11ULT:
For the sun rose with the heat and dried up the grass, and its flower fell off and the beauty of its face perished. Thus also the rich will wither in his journeys.
UST:
A wildflower only lasts a short time because when the sun rises, its scorching heat dries out the plants so that their flowers fall off. They are no longer beautiful. Like the flower that dies, rich people will die while they are trying to make money.
To what can the rich be compared?
The rich can be compared to the flower of the grass that dries up, falls off, and perishes.
James 1:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:12ULT:
Blessed {is} a man who endures trial. For, becoming approved, he will receive the crown of life, which he promised to the ones loving him.
UST:
God honors those who remain faithful to him in difficult circumstances. Indeed, God will reward them by having them live forever. That is what God has promised to do for all who love him.
Those who pass the test of faith will receive what?
Those who pass the test of faith will receive the crown of life.
James 1:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:13ULT:
Let no one being tempted say, “I am tempted by God,” because God is untempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.
UST:
When we are tempted to sin, we must not think it is God who is tempting us. No, no one can persuade God to do evil, and God never tries to persuade anyone to do evil.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 1:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:14ULT:
But each one is tempted by his own desire, dragged away and enticed.
UST:
But people want to do evil because of their own desires. When they do, it is just as if they had fallen into a trap.
What causes a person to be tempted by evil?
A person’s own evil desires cause him to be tempted by evil.
James 1:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:15ULT:
Then the desire, having conceived, bears sin, and the sin, having grown up, gives birth to death.
UST:
Then, because they have desired to do evil things, they begin to do them, and eventually they do them habitually. {If they do not turn away from their sinful behavior,} they will be separated from God forever.
What is the result of full-grown sin?
The result of full-grown sin is death.
James 1:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:16ULT:
Do not be led astray, my beloved brothers.
UST:
My fellow believers whom I love, stop deceiving yourselves.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 1:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:17ULT:
Every good present and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or shadow of turning.
UST:
Every truly good and perfect gift comes from God the Father, who is in heaven. He created the sun, moon, and stars. But God does not change the way shadows change, appearing and disappearing. God never changes. He is always good!
What comes down from the Father of lights?
Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights.
James 1:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:18ULT:
Having willed, he gave birth to us by the word of truth, for us to be something like a firstfruits of his creatures.
UST:
God became our spiritual father when we trusted in his true message. That was what he wanted to do. So now believers in Jesus have become the first people to experience the kind of relationship with God that many more people will have in the future.
By what means did God choose to give us life?
God chose to give us life by the word of truth.
James 1:19
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:19ULT:
Know, my beloved brothers: But let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.
UST:
My fellow believers whom I love, I want you to know that every one of you should listen patiently {to what others have to say}. You should speak {your own thoughts} carefully. You should control your anger,
What does James tell us to do about our hearing, speaking, and emotions?
James tells us to be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
James 1:20
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:20ULT:
For anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.
UST:
because when we get angry, we cannot do the good things that God wants us to do.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 1:21
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:21ULT:
Therefore, having laid aside all filth and abundance of wickedness, in humility receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
UST:
So stop doing all kinds of evil. Without resisting proudly, do what God has told you to do. God will help you to remember and understand it. This will show that you belong to God.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 1:22
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:22ULT:
But be doers of the word and not only hearers, deluding yourselves.
UST:
It is important to what God commands, do not just listen to it. People who only listen to it and do not obey it are fooling themselves {into thinking that this will save them}.
How does James say that we can deceive ourselves?
James says that we can deceive ourselves by hearing the word and not doing it.
James 1:23
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:23ULT:
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man beholding the face of his birth in a mirror.
UST:
Now some people hear God’s message, but they do not do what it says. Those people are like someone who looks at his face in a mirror.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 1:24
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:24ULT:
For he beheld himself and went away and immediately forgot of what sort he was.
UST:
Although he looks at himself, he goes away {from the mirror} and immediately forgets what he looks like.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 1:25
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:25ULT:
But the one having gazed into the perfect law of freedom and having continued, not having become a hearer of forgetfulness, but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in his doing.
UST:
But other people consider God’s message carefully. It is perfect and it enables people to do voluntarily {what God wants them to do}. If these people remember what they have heard and continue to do what God tells them to do, then God will bless them because of what they do.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 1:26
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:26ULT:
If anyone thinks to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, the religion of that one {is} worthless.
UST:
Some people think that they worship God properly, but they say bad things. Those people are wrong in what they are thinking. God is not impressed with our worship activities if we continually say bad things.
What must be controlled in order for us to be truly religious?
The tongue must be controlled in order for us to be truly religious.
James 1:27
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 1:27ULT:
Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to look upon orphans and widows in their distress, to keep oneself unstained by the world.
UST:
{One of the things that God has told us to do is} to take care of orphans and widows who suffer hardship. People who do that truly worship God, who is our Father. People are also truly worshiping God if they do not think or act immorally like others who do not obey God. God approves of people who do these things.
What is pure and undefiled religion before God?
Pure and undefiled religion before God is to visit the fatherless and widows, and to protect ourselves from the world’s corruption.
James 2
James 2:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:1ULT:
My brothers, do not with favoritism have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory.
UST:
My fellow believers, do not honor some people more than others and at the same time trust in our great Lord Jesus the Messiah.
What attitude should believers not have?
They should not have an attitude of favoritism.
James 2:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:2ULT:
For if a gold-ringed man in splendid clothing comes into your synagogue, and a poor one in filthy clothing also comes in,
UST:
For example, suppose that a person who wears gold rings and fine clothes joins you for worship. And suppose that a poor person who wears shabby clothes joins you as well.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 2:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:3ULT:
and you look at the one wearing the splendid clothing and say, “You sit here well,” and to the poor one you say, “You stand there,” or, “Sit by my footstool,”
UST:
And suppose that you show special attention to the one dressed in fine clothes. You tell him, “Please sit here in this nice seat!” But you tell the poor one {to go to a less honorable place, saying}, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit on the floor!”
What are believers telling a rich man who enters their meeting?
They are telling him to come up front into the best location.
What are believers telling a poor man who enters their meeting?
They are telling him to stand far away or in a poor location.
James 2:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:4ULT:
have you not distinguished among yourselves and become judges of evil thoughts?
UST:
This would show that you thought rich people were better than poor people. It would show that you were making your judgments {about how to treat people} based on evil thinking.
What have the believers become because of their favoritism?
They have become judges of evil thoughts.
James 2:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:5ULT:
Listen, my beloved brothers, did not God choose the poor in the world {to be} rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to the ones loving him?
UST:
Listen to me, my fellow believers whom I love. God has chosen poor people who seem to own nothing of value to trust in him very much. He will give them great things when he reigns everywhere. This is what he has promised to do for everyone who loves him.
What does James say about God’s choice of the poor?
James says that God chose the poor to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom.
James 2:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:6ULT:
But you dishonored the poor! Do not the rich overpower you and themselves drag you into court?
UST:
But you have treated poor people disrespectfully! Think about it! It is the rich people, not the poor people, who are causing you to suffer! It is the rich people who forcibly take you to court {to accuse you in front of judges}!
What does James say the rich have been doing? (2:6-7)
James says the rich have been oppressing the brothers and blaspheming God’s name.
James 2:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:7ULT:
Do they not blaspheme the good name that has been called upon you?
UST:
And they are the ones who insult you because you are Christians!
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 2:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:8ULT:
If, however, you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You will love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.
UST:
{So you should not treat rich people better than poor people.} Instead, you should obey the commandment that Jesus said was so important. It is from the law of Moses: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” If you show love to everyone equally, you will be doing what is right.
What is the royal law of the scriptures?
The royal law is, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
James 2:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:9ULT:
But if you favor, you are committing sin, convicted by the law as transgressors.
UST:
But if you honor some people more than others, you are doing wrong. And {because you are not doing what God has commanded,} God will say that you have broken his law.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 2:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:10ULT:
For whoever might keep the whole law but stumble in one thing has become guilty of all.
UST:
{God will say this} because if you break one of God’s laws, even if you obey all the other ones, it is just as if you had broken all the laws.
Whoever breaks one point of God’s law is guilty of what?
Whoever breaks one point of God’s law is guilty of breaking all the law.
James 2:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:11ULT:
For the one having said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If, then, you do not commit adultery but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
UST:
For example, God said, “Do not commit adultery,” but he also said, “Do not murder anyone.” So if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder someone, then you have become a person who disobeys God’s laws.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 2:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:12ULT:
Thus speak and thus act, as ones who are going to be judged by means of the law of freedom.
UST:
{Always} speak and act towards others knowing that God will judge you based on the commandment he gave us {to love others}. When we follow that commandment, we obey God freely.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 2:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:13ULT:
For the judgment {is} merciless to the ones not having done mercy. Mercy boasts against judgment.
UST:
You should speak and act in this way because when God judges us, he will not act mercifully toward those who have not acted mercifully toward others. But if we are merciful to others, then we can expect that God will be merciful to us when he judges us.
What comes to those who have not shown mercy?
Judgment without mercy comes to those who have not shown mercy.
James 2:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:14ULT:
What {would be} the profit, my brothers, if someone would say he has faith, but he does not have works? That faith is not able to save him, is it?
UST:
My fellow believers, some people say, “I believe in the Lord Jesus the Messiah,” but they do not do loving things. What they say will do them no good. If they only believe with words, God will certainly not save them.
What does James say about those who claim to have faith, but do not help those in need?
James says that those who claim to have faith but do not help those in need have a faith that cannot save them.
James 2:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:15ULT:
If a brother or sister were unclothed and lacking their daily food,
UST:
{To illustrate,} suppose that a fellow believer, whether a man or a woman, is continually lacking clothes and food for each day.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 2:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:16ULT:
and someone of you said to them, “Go in peace, warm yourself and be satisfied,” but you did not give them the necessary things of the body, what {would be} the profit?
UST:
And suppose one of you says to them, “Do not worry, get warm, and have the food you need.” But suppose that you then do not give them any clothing or food. Then that will be no help to them!
Does it help a poor person if we tell them to be warmed and filled, but do not give them anything?
No, it does not help a poor person if we do not give them anything to warm or feed them.
James 2:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:17ULT:
Thus also the faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
UST:
Similarly, if you just say that you believe in Jesus but you do not do anything that demonstrates that, you do not really believe in Jesus.
What is faith by itself, if it has no works?
Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
James 2:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:18ULT:
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith from the works.
UST:
But someone might say {to you} that you have faith, while I have works. {He might claim that a person can express his religion through either faith or works and that he does not need to have both.} {But I would say in response that you cannot} show me your faith without works. I{, on the other hand,} can show you my faith by my works.
How does James say we must show our faith?
James says we must show our faith by our works.
James 2:19
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:19ULT:
You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and they tremble.
UST:
{Let me illustrate how believing in God without doing what God wants you to do cannot save you.} You believe that there is only one true God. You are right to believe that. But the demons also believe that, and they shake {with fear} because they also know that the one true God is going to punish them.
What do demons and those who claim to have faith both believe?
Those who claim to have faith and demons both believe there is one God.
James 2:20
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:20ULT:
But do you wish to know, O foolish man, that the faith without the works is idle?
UST:
Also, you foolish person, I will give you proof that if someone says he believes in Jesus but he does not do anything that demonstrates that, then what he says does not help him in any way.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 2:21
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:21ULT:
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
UST:
{Here is the proof.} Abraham, from whom we are descended, showed that he was willing to offer his son Isaac {to God} as a sacrifice {if God wanted him to do that}. God considered Abraham to be a righteous person because he showed that he would obey him {and that proved that he genuinely trusted God}.
How did Abraham demonstrate his faith by his works?
Abraham demonstrated his faith by his works when he offered up Isaac upon the altar.
James 2:22
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:22ULT:
You see that the faith was working with his works and the faith was perfected from the works.
UST:
In this way, Abraham obeyed God because he trusted him. When he obeyed him, that helped him trust God completely.
How was the faith of Abraham perfected?
Abraham’s faith was perfected by his works.
James 2:23
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:23ULT:
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.
UST:
That was how the scripture came true that says, “Because Abraham truly trusted in God, God viewed him as someone who did what was right.” Other scriptures say that Abraham was God’s friend.
What scripture was fulfilled with Abraham’s faith and works?
The scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
James 2:24
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:24ULT:
You see that a man is justified from works and not from faith alone.
UST:
{From the example of Abraham,} you should recognize that God considers people to be righteous because of what they do, not simply because they trust in him.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 2:25
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:25ULT:
And similarly was not Rahab the prostitute also justified from works, having welcomed the messengers and having sent them away by another road?
UST:
Just as he did for Abraham, God also considered Rahab to be righteous because of what she did. She had been a prostitute, but she took care of the messengers {Joshua sent to spy out the land}. She then helped them to escape by sending them back on a safer road.
How did Rahab demonstrate her faith by her works?
Rahab demonstrated her faith by her works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them away by another road.
James 2:26
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 2:26ULT:
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, thus also the faith without works is dead.
UST:
All of this illustrates an important truth. Just as a person’s body is not alive if he is no longer breathing, in the same way, a person does not really trust in God if he does not express that trust through what he does.
What is a body apart from the spirit?
A body apart from the spirit is dead.
James 3
James 3:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:1ULT:
Do not become many teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive greater judgment.
UST:
My fellow believers, most of you should not desire to become teachers {of God’s word}. As you know, God will judge us teachers more severely {than he will judge other people}.
Why does James say that not many should become teachers?
Not many should become teachers because they will receive greater judgment.
James 3:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:2ULT:
For we all stumble much. If anyone does not stumble in word, he {is} a perfect man, able to bridle even the whole body.
UST:
{I will tell you why most of you should not become teachers.} All of us often do things that are wrong. But if anyone is able to avoid saying things that are wrong, he has become the person God intends him to be. He will be able to control all of his actions as well.
Who stumbles, and in how many ways?
We all stumble in many ways.
What kind of person is able to control his whole body?
A person who does not stumble in his words is also able to control his whole body.
James 3:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:3ULT:
Now if we put the bits into the mouths of the horses for them to obey us, we also turn their whole body.
UST:
To illustrate, we can put a small metal bar into the mouth of a horse and use it to make the horse go where we want it to go. When we do that, we can direct the horse’s large body {just by means of that small device}.
What little thing is able to steer a large ship where the pilot wants it to go?
A small rudder is able to steer a large ship.
James 3:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:4ULT:
Behold also the ships, being so large and driven by strong winds, it is turned by the smallest rudder where the inclination of the one steering desires.
UST:
Think about ships too. A ship may be very large and the winds that propel it forward may be very strong. Even so, by using a tiny rudder, the pilot can direct the ship wherever he wants it to go.
What small thing is able to start a large fire in a forest?
A small fire is able to start a large fire in a forest.
James 3:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:5ULT:
Thus also the tongue is a small member, but it boasts great things. Behold how small a fire kindles so large a forest.
UST:
Similarly, although our tongues are very small, we use them to brag that we have done great things. Note also that a fire that starts as a small flame can burn up many trees.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 3:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:6ULT:
The tongue {represents} also a fire, the world of unrighteousness. The tongue is placed among our members, the thing staining the whole body and setting the course of existence on fire, and it is set on fire by Gehenna.
UST:
Just as a fire burns a forest, when we say bad things, we hurt many people. {What we say reveals that} there is much evil within us. When we say bad things, this contaminates all that we think and do. It can ruin our whole life. It is Satan himself who influences us to speak what is evil.
What is the sinful tongue able to do to the whole body?
The sinful tongue is able to defile the whole body.
James 3:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:7ULT:
For every kind, both of beasts and birds, both of reptiles and marine animals, is being tamed and has been tamed by the human kind.
UST:
To give another example, people have been able to tame a wide variety of wild animals, birds, reptiles, and animals that live in the water.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 3:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:8ULT:
But no one of men is able to tame the tongue, an unsettled evil, full of deadly poison.
UST:
But no one can control the things he says. The things people say are like a dangerous creature that never stops killing people with its venom.
What has no one among man been able to tame?
No one among man has been able to tame the tongue.
James 3:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:9ULT:
With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse the men, the ones having come into being according to the likeness of God.
UST:
We use speech to praise {God, who is} our Lord and Father. But we also use speech to say that we want bad things to happen to people. {That is very wrong, because} God made people like himself.
What two ways to people treat God and men with their tongues?
With a single tongue, they bless God and curse men.
James 3:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:10ULT:
Out from the same mouth come blessing and cursing. It is not fitting, my brothers, {for} these things to happen thus.
UST:
Someone may use his speech to praise God. But then he will use that same speech to wish that bad things would happen to people. My fellow believers, this should not happen!
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 3:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:11ULT:
The spring does not gush the sweet and the bitter from the same opening, does it?
UST:
Surely good-tasting water and bad-tasting water do not come from the same source!
What two things can a spring not provide?
One spring cannot provide both sweet and bitter water.
James 3:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:12ULT:
A fig tree is not able to make olives, is it, my brothers, or a grapevine, figs? Nor salty to make sweet water.
UST:
My fellow believers, a fig tree cannot produce olives. And a grapevine cannot produce figs. Nor can a salty source produce good water. {Similarly, we should speak only what is good, and we should not speak what is evil.}
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 3:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:13ULT:
Who {is} wise and understanding among you? Let him show his works from his good conduct in humility of wisdom.
UST:
If any of you are very understanding, you will demonstrate that by living your life properly. Being wise leads us to act gently toward others.
How does a person demonstrate wisdom and understanding?
A person demonstrates wisdom and understanding by his works done in humility.
James 3:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:14ULT:
But if you have bitter jealousy and ambition in your heart, do not boast and lie against the truth.
UST:
But if inwardly you grudgingly resent other people and you think you are more important than they are, you should not claim to be wise. That would be saying that what is false is actually true.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 3:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:15ULT:
This is not the wisdom coming down from above, but {it is} earthly, soulish, demonic.
UST:
People who are envious and selfish are not wise as God wants them to be. Instead, they are thinking and acting like people who do not respect God. They are following their own evil desires. They are doing what demons would do.
Where kind of wisdom causes a person to be jealous and ambitious, and to lie?
Wisdom that is earthly, soulish, and demonic causes a person to be jealous and ambitious, and to lie.
James 3:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:16ULT:
For where {there is} jealousy and ambition, there {is} unsettledness and every wicked deed.
UST:
We can tell that people who are resentful and selfish are not wise, because they do not control themselves. They take part in many different sinful activities.
What results from jealousy and ambition?
Jealousy and ambition causes unsettledness and every wicked deed.
James 3:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:17ULT:
But the wisdom from above first indeed is pure, then peaceable, gentle, cooperative, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, sincere.
UST:
But the person whom God has taught to be wise is, first of all, morally pure. Such a person also makes peace with others. He is kind to them and gets along with them well. He is generous to people who do not deserve it, and he does practical things to help others. He does not favor one person over another, and he does not pretend to be something that he is not.
What attitudes reflect a wisdom from above?
A person that is peace-loving, gentle, warm-hearted, full of mercy and good fruit, without favoritism, and sincere has wisdom from above.
James 3:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 3:18ULT:
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those making peace.
UST:
When people work quietly to help others get along, they can help those others to have good relationships.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 4
James 4:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:1ULT:
From where {are} wars and from where {are} battles among you? {Are they} not from there, from your lusts, the ones fighting in your members?
UST:
I will tell you why you are fighting among yourselves and quarreling with each other. It is because each of you inwardly desires to do evil things. Those desires lead you to fight {in order to be able to do those things}.
What does James say is the source of quarreling and disputing among the believers?
The source is the evil desires that war among them.
James 4:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:2ULT:
You covet, and you do not have. You kill and envy, and you are not able to obtain. You battle and war. You do not have because you do not ask.
UST:
You desire to have things, but you do not get {them}. This makes you bitterly resent the people who do have them. But you {still} do not get {what you want}, so you quarrel and fight {with others}. If you pray {to God} instead {for the things you desire}, then God will give you {what you truly need}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 4:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:3ULT:
You ask and you do not receive, because you ask badly, so that you may spend on your lusts.
UST:
But even when you do ask God for things, he does not give them to you, because you are asking with bad motives. You are asking for things just so that you can use them to enjoy yourselves in wrong ways.
Why do the believers not receive their requests to God?
They do not receive because they ask for bad things to be spent on their evil desires.
James 4:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:4ULT:
You adulteresses! Do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world is made an enemy of God.
UST:
You are being disloyal to God {by not obeying him}! You must realize that those who behave as evil people do are hostile to God. So if that is how you decide to live, then you will be choosing to be hostile to God.
If a person decides to be a friend of the world, what is that person’s relationship with God?
A person who decides to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
James 4:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:5ULT:
Or do you think that the scripture says vainly, “The Spirit whom he caused to live in us longs with jealousy”?
UST:
You must realize that God has purposely told us about this in the Scriptures. There he teaches us that the Spirit he placed in us yearns for us to live our lives in ways that please him.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 4:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:6ULT:
But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.”
UST:
If we are living in ways that do not please God, he is very kind to us. {He will help us live differently if we humbly admit that we have been doing wrong.} That is why this teaching is in the Bible: “God does not help those who are proud, but he does help those who are humble.”
Who does God resist, and to whom does he give grace?
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
James 4:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:7ULT:
Be submitted, therefore, to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
UST:
So choose humbly to obey God. Firmly determine not to give in to the devil’s temptations. This will make the devil give up on trying to tempt you.
James 4:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:8ULT:
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded.
UST:
Be honest and open with God. If you do, he will welcome you into his presence. You who are sinners, turn away from doing what is wrong and do only what is right. You who cannot decide whether you will commit yourselves to God, stop thinking wrong thoughts and think only right thoughts.
What will God do for those who draw near to him?
God will draw near to those who draw near to him.
James 4:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:9ULT:
Be miserable and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be changed into mourning, and your joy into gloom.
UST:
Show sorrow and be sad and weep {because of the wrong things that you have done}. You have been enjoying yourselves, but you should be serious {and realize how much you need to change}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 4:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:10ULT:
Be humbled before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
UST:
Humbly show the Lord how sorry you are for your sins. If you do that, he will honor you.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 4:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:11ULT:
Do not speak against one another, brothers. The one speaking against a brother or judging his brother speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.
UST:
My fellow believers, stop accusing one another of doing wrong. Anyone who accuses and condemns a fellow believer is really accusing and condemning God’s commandment {that we should love one another}. But if you speak against that commandment, you are not obeying it. Instead, you are acting like a judge who condemns it.
What does James tell the believers not to do?
James tells the believers not to speak against one another.
James 4:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:12ULT:
There is one lawgiver and judge, the one being able to save and to destroy. But who are you, the one judging your neighbor?
UST:
The only one who can judge people {according to the law} is the one who gave the law. That is God, who is able not just to condemn people {for breaking the law} but also to pardon them {even though they have broken the law}. You certainly are not entitled to take God’s place and judge others.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 4:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:13ULT:
Come now, you ones saying, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to this city and do a year there and trade and gain.”
UST:
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!
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 4:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:14ULT:
You who do not know the thing of the tomorrow, of what sort {is} your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little {while} and then disappears.
UST:
You should not talk like that, because you do not know what will happen tomorrow. In fact, you do not even know how long you will live! After all, your life is short, like a mist that is visible briefly but then vanishes.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 4:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:15ULT:
Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wishes, we will both live and do this or that.”
UST:
Instead {of what you are saying,} you should say, “If the Lord is willing, we will still be alive and we will be able to do one thing or another.”
What does James tell the believers to say about what will happen in the future?
James tells the believers to say that if the Lord allows, we will live and do this or that.
James 4:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:16ULT:
But now you are boasting in your pretensions. All such boasting is evil.
UST:
But what you are doing is bragging about all the things you plan to do. That kind of bragging is sinful.
What does James say about those who boast about their plans?
James says that those who boast about their plans are doing evil.
James 4:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 4:17ULT:
Therefore to the one having known to do good and not doing {it}, to him it is sin.
UST:
So if anyone does not do something even though he knows it is the right thing that he should do, he has committed a sin.
What is it if someone knows to do good, but does not do it?
It is sin if someone knows to do good, but does not do it.
James 5
James 5:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:1ULT:
Come now, the rich, weep, wailing because of your coming miseries.
UST:
Now I have something to say to you rich people {who say you believe in Jesus}. Listen to me! You should weep and wail loudly because you are going to experience terrible troubles!
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 5:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:2ULT:
Your wealth has rotted and your clothes have become moth-eaten.
UST:
Your wealth is worthless, as though it were rotten. Your fine clothes are worthless, as though moths had ruined them.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 5:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:3ULT:
Your 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.
UST:
Your 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.}
What have the rich, about whom James is talking, done in the last days which will testify against them?
The rich have hoarded their treasure.
James 5:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:4ULT:
Behold, the pay of the workers who have reaped your fields, which has been withheld from you, is crying out, and the cries of the ones harvesting have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
UST:
Think about what you have done. You did not pay the wages you promised to the workers who harvested your fields. These unpaid wages show how unfair you were to these workers. They are crying out to God because of the way you have treated them. The Lord is a God of great power, and he is listening to their loud cries {and he will punish you for what you have done}.
How have these rich treated their workers?
These rich have not paid their workers.
James 5:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:5ULT:
You have lived luxuriously on the earth and have lived self-indulgently. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.
UST:
You have bought all the luxuries you wanted for yourselves. Just as cattle fatten themselves, not realizing that they will be slaughtered, you have lived just to enjoy things, not realizing that God will severely punish you.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 5:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:6ULT:
You have condemned, you have killed the righteous. He does not resist you.
UST:
You have arranged for others to condemn honest people. You have arranged for others to kill people who had not done anything wrong. They were not able to defend themselves against you. {But God will judge and punish you for doing all these things.}
How have these rich treated the righteous man?
These rich have condemned and killed the righteous man.
James 5:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:7ULT:
Therefore, wait patiently, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer awaits the valuable fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early {rain} and the late {rain}.
UST:
So, my fellow believers, {even though rich people cause you to suffer,} be patient until Jesus the Messiah comes back. Remember that when farmers plant a field, they have to wait for their valuable crops to grow. They have to wait patiently for the rain that comes at the planting season and for more rain that comes just before the harvest season. {This rain is necessary for the crops to grow and mature so that the farmers can harvest them.}
What does James say the believer’s attitude should be toward the coming of the Lord?
The believers should wait patiently for the coming of the Lord.
James 5:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:8ULT:
You also wait patiently. Strengthen your hearts, because the coming of the Lord has come near.
UST:
Similarly, you also should wait patiently and trust Jesus the Messiah firmly, because he is coming back soon {and he will judge all people fairly}.
Why should believers strengthen their hearts as they wait patiently for the coming of the Lord?
They should strengthen their hearts because the coming of the Lord is near.
James 5:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:9ULT:
Do not complain, brothers, against one another, so that you may be not judged. Behold, the judge is standing at the door.
UST:
My fellow believers, do not grumble about each other. That way the Lord Jesus will not have to punish you. He is the one who will judge us, and he will come back soon to do that.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 5:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:10ULT:
Take an example, brothers, of the suffering and the patience of the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord.
UST:
My fellow believers, as an example {of how to be patient}, consider the prophets whom the Lord God sent long ago to speak his messages. Although people caused them to suffer much, they endured it patiently.
What should the suffering and the patience of the Old Testament prophets become for us?
The suffering and the patience of the Old Testament prophets should become an example for us.
James 5:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:11ULT:
Behold, we call blessed the ones having endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is greatly compassionate and merciful.
UST:
Consider how, when people are able to endure suffering {patiently and faithfully}, we say that God has blessed them. {One example of this is the man named} Job. You know about him {from the Scriptures}. You know that he suffered many things patiently. You also know that God planned {to do good things through what Job suffered}. And from that you can tell that God is very caring and kind.
What positive character trait did Job demonstrate?
Job demonstrated endurance.
James 5:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:12ULT:
But before all, my brothers, do not swear, neither {by} the heaven nor {by} the earth, nor {by} any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes” and your “No,” “No,” so that you may not fall under judgment.
UST:
Now this, my fellow believers, is something very important for you to realize. You must never take an oath by calling on heaven or the earth or anything else to guarantee a promise that you make. All you need to say is “Yes” or “No.” God will judge you {if you go beyond that and make an oath but then do not keep your promise}.
What does James say about the reliability of a believer’s “Yes” and “No”?
A believer’s “Yes” must mean “Yes” and his “No” must mean “No.”
James 5:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:13ULT:
Is anyone among you suffering hardship? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
UST:
Any one of you who is experiencing trouble should pray {that God would help him}. Whoever is happy should sing songs of praise {to God}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 5:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:14ULT:
Is anyone among you sick? Let him summon the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, having anointed him with oil in the name of the Lord.
UST:
Any one of you who is sick should call the leaders of the congregation to come and pray for him {to recover}. They should put olive oil on him {to help him recover} and, with the Lord’s authority, pray.
What should those who are sick do?
The sick should call for the elders so they can pray over him and anoint him with oil.
James 5:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:15ULT:
And the prayer of the faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up. And if he may have committed sins, it will be forgiven to him.
UST:
When these leaders pray to God in faith, God will answer that prayer and heal the person who is sick. The Lord will restore his health. If that person has sinned, God will forgive him {for those sins}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 5:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:16ULT:
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A working prayer of the righteous is very strong.
UST:
Because the Lord is able to heal the sick and to forgive sins, admit to each other the sinful things you have done and pray for each other. Then God will heal you. If people who are right with God pray, God will answer their prayers in powerful ways.
What two things does James say believers should do with each other in order to be healed?
Believers should confess to one another and pray for one another.
James 5:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:17ULT:
Elijah was a man of similar passions to us, and he prayed with prayer for {it} not to rain, and it did not rain upon the land {for} three years and six months.
UST:
The prophet Elijah was an ordinary person like us. But when he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, the land {of Israel} had no rain for three and a half years.
What happened when Elijah prayed that it would not rain?
It did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
James 5:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:18ULT:
And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.
UST:
Then Elijah prayed again{, asking God to send rain}, and God made it rain and plants grew and produced crops again.
What happened when Elijah prayed again, this time for rain?
When he prayed again, the heaven gave rain and the earth produced fruit.
James 5:19
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:19ULT:
My brothers, if anyone among you may have been led astray from the truth and someone turns him back,
UST:
My fellow believers, if one of you stops obeying the true message from God, then another one of you should persuade that person to do once again what God has told us to do.
(There are no questions for this verse)
James 5:20
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: James 5:20ULT:
let him know that the one having turned back a sinner from his wandering way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
UST:
I want anyone who helps a sinner to repent to know that because of what he has done, God will save the sinner from spiritual death and will forgive his many sins.
What does someone accomplish who leads a sinner out of the error of his way?
The person who leads a sinner out of the error of his way saves a soul from death and covers a multitude of sins.