James 1:13–15
Desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and sin, once full grown, brings forth death
Study it word by word13Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.
14But each one is tempted by his own desire, being dragged away and enticed.
15Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death.
In its context
11For the sun rose with its scorching heat and withered the grass, and its flower fell, and the beauty of its appearance perished; so also the rich man will fade away in his pursuits.
12Happy is the man who endures trial, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which he promised to those who love him.
…
16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
17Every good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Its words in the original
- μηδεὶςmēdeis· no one, nothing
No one, nothing.
- πειραζόμενοςpeirazomenos· test, tempt
Put to the test; when the devil does it, tempt: push someone to fall. "The tempter" comes from the same verb.
- λεγέτωlegetō· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- θεοῦtheou· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- ἀπείραστόςapeirastos· cannot be tempted
That cannot be tempted; without experience of something.
- ἐστινestin· be
Be, exist.
- κακῶνkakōn· bad, evil
Bad, evil.
- ἕκαστοςhekastos· each
Each, each one.
- ἰδίαςidias· own
One's own, his own.
- ἐπιθυμίαςepithymias· desire
Desire; also evil desire, craving.
- ἐξελκόμενοςexelkomenos· drag away
Drag away, draw out.
- δελεαζόμενοςdeleazomenos· lure, entice
Lure, entice, as with bait.
- εἶταeita· then
Then, next.
- συλλαβοῦσαsyllabousa· arrest, conceive
Seize, arrest; also conceive.
- τίκτειtiktei· give birth
Give birth.
- ἁμαρτίανhamartian· sin
Sin: missing the mark, failing God and what he commands.
- ἀποτελεσθεῖσαapotelestheisa· complete, perform
Complete, perform, carry out.
- ἀποκύειapokyei· give birth to
Give birth to, bring forth.
- θάνατονthanaton· death
Death.