Do Not Boast about Tomorrow

James 4:14

In 9 translations

BSB: You 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.
KJV: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
WEB: Yet you don’t know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
ASV: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
LSV: who does not know the thing of tomorrow; for what is your life? For it is a vapor that is appearing for a little [while], and then is vanishing;
YLT: who do not know the thing of the morrow; for what is your life? for it is a vapour that is appearing for a little, and then is vanishing;
DBY: ye who do not know what will be on the morrow, ([for] what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, appearing for a little while, and then disappearing,)
DRC: Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow.
GNV: (And yet ye cannot tell what shalbe to morowe. For what is your life? It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a litle time, and afterward vanisheth away)

Word by word Greek · tap a word

Words in brackets are English the glossers added; the Greek has no word for them, and they can carry a choice of tense or meaning.

Where the editions differ

Editions are published forms of the Hebrew and Greek texts. Meet the editions and sources →

In STEPBible’s comparison, NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Tregelles, Textus Receptus, Byzantine text include τὸ (“what [is]”); Westcott–Hort do not include this wording.
NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Tregelles read ἐστε (“you are”); Textus Receptus read ἐστιν (“it is”); Byzantine text read ἔσται (“it will be”).
In STEPBible’s comparison, NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Tregelles, Textus Receptus, Byzantine text include ἡ (“the”); Westcott–Hort do not include this wording.
In STEPBible’s comparison, NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Tregelles, Byzantine text include καὶ (“also”); Textus Receptus do not include this wording.

Spelling, punctuation and minor wording (2)

In STEPBible’s comparison, Tregelles, Textus Receptus, Byzantine text include γὰρ (“for”); NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort do not include this wording.
In STEPBible’s comparison, Textus Receptus, Byzantine text include δὲ (“and”); NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Tregelles do not include this wording.

SBLGNT apparatus (5)

A comparison of published Greek editions. “Add” means after the SBLGNT wording; “omit” refers to that wording.

SBLGNT: τὸ. Tregelles, Nestle–Aland 28th edition, Robinson–Pierpont read τὸ; Westcott and Hort (1881) omit this wording.
SBLGNT: ποία. Westcott and Hort (1881), Nestle–Aland 28th edition read ποία; Tregelles, Robinson–Pierpont add γὰρ.
SBLGNT: ἐστε. Westcott and Hort (1881), Tregelles, Nestle–Aland 28th edition read ἐστε; Robinson–Pierpont read ἔσται.
SBLGNT: ἡ. Tregelles, Nestle–Aland 28th edition, Robinson–Pierpont read ἡ; Westcott and Hort (1881) omit this wording.
SBLGNT: ἔπειτα. Westcott and Hort (1881), Tregelles, Nestle–Aland 28th edition read ἔπειτα; Robinson–Pierpont add δὲ.

Edition differences: STEP Bible, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0). Names and codes expanded; consecutive words grouped. Comparisons follow the editions used by the source; see version details.

Original-language editions

SBLGNT: οἵτινες οὐκ ἐπίστασθε τὸ τῆς αὔριον ποία ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν· ἀτμὶς γάρ ἐστε ἡ πρὸς ὀλίγον φαινομένη, ἔπειτα καὶ ἀφανιζομένη·
RP2018: οἵτινες οὐκ ἐπίστασθε τὸ τῆς αὔριον. Ποία γὰρ ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν; Ἀτμὶς γὰρ ἔσται ἡ πρὸς ὀλίγον φαινομένη, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ ἀφανιζομένη.
TR-Boyd: οἵτινες οὐκ ἐπίστασθε τὸ τῆς αὔριον. Ποία γὰρ ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν; Ἀτμὶς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ πρὸς ὀλίγον φαινομένη, ἔπειτα δὲ ἀφανιζομένη.
SCR1894: οιτινες ουκ επιστασθε το της αυριον ποια γαρ η ζωη υμων ατμις γαρ εστιν η προς ολιγον φαινομενη επειτα δε αφανιζομενη

In the reference works topics that cite this verse

Vapor Happiness of the Wicked, The Providence Presumption Confidence Covetousness Life, Natural Life Commandments

From public-domain Bible dictionaries and topical indexes (1884–1915).

Cross-references most cited first

1 Peter 1:24For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,
Psalms 39:5You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah
1 John 2:17The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.
Psalms 102:3For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like glowing embers.
Job 7:6–7My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope. Remember that my life is but a breath. My eyes will never again see happiness.
James 1:10But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.
Job 14:1–2“Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble. Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.
Job 9:25–26My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good. They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
Psalms 90:5–7You whisk them away in their sleep; they are like the new grass of the morning— in the morning it springs up new, but by evening it fades and withers. For we are consumed by Your anger and terrified by Your wrath.
Psalms 89:47Remember the briefness of my lifespan! For what futility You have created all men!
1 Peter 4:7The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray.
Isaiah 38:12My dwelling has been picked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver; He cuts me off from the loom; from day until night You make an end of me.

From the OpenBible.info cross-reference set (votes from readers; not every link is a quotation or allusion).