Yakobus 2:4

2:4 If so, have you not made distinctions ¹  among yourselves and become judges with evil motives? ² 

Yakobus 2:20

2:20 But would you like evidence, ³  you empty fellow, ⁴  that faith without works is useless? ⁵ 

Yakobus 4:9

4:9 Grieve, mourn, ⁶  and weep. Turn your laughter ⁷  into mourning and your joy into despair.

Yakobus 5:1

Warning to the Rich

5:1 Come now, you rich! Weep and cry aloud ⁸  over the miseries that are coming on you.

[2:4]  ¹ tn Grk “have you not made distinctions” (as the conclusion to the series of “if” clauses in vv. 2-3).

[2:4]  ² tn Grk “judges of evil reasonings.”

[2:20]  ³ tn Grk “do you want to know.”

[2:20]  ⁴ tn Grk “O empty man.” Here the singular vocative ἄνθρωπε (anqrwpe, “man”) means “person” or even “fellow.” Cf. BDAG 82 s.v. ἄνθρωπος 8 which views this as an instance of rhetorical address in a letter; the pejorative sense is also discussed under the previous heading (7).

[2:20]  ⁵ tc Most witnesses, including several important ones (א A C² P Ψ 33 Ï sy bo), have νεκρά (nekra, “dead”) here, while Ì⁷⁴ reads κενή (kenh, “empty”). Both variants are most likely secondary, derived from ἀργή (argh, “useless”). The reading of the majority is probably an assimilation to the statements in vv. 17 and 26, while Ì⁷⁴’s reading picks up on κενέ (kene) earlier in the verse. The external evidence (B C* 323 945 1739 sa) for ἀργή is sufficient for authenticity; coupled with the strong internal evidence for the reading (if νεκρά were original, how would ἀργή have arisen here and not in vv. 17 or 26?), it is strongly preferred.

[4:9]  ⁶ tn This term and the following one are preceded by καί (kai) in the Greek text, but contemporary English generally uses connectives only between the last two items in such a series.

[4:9]  ⁷ tn Grk “let your laughter be turned.”

[5:1]  ⁸ tn Or “wail”; Grk “crying aloud.”