James 1:13
New International Version
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;

New Living Translation
And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.

English Standard Version
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

Berean Standard Bible
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.

Berean Literal Bible
Let no one being tempted say, "I am being tempted by God." For God is unable to be tempted by evils, and He Himself tempts no one.

King James Bible
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

New King James Version
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

New American Standard Bible
No one is to say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

NASB 1995
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

NASB 1977
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

Legacy Standard Bible
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

Amplified Bible
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God” [for temptation does not originate from God, but from our own flaws]; for God cannot be tempted by [what is] evil, and He Himself tempts no one.

Christian Standard Bible
No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone.

American Standard Version
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
A man should not say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”, for God is not acquainted with evil and he does not tempt a man.

Contemporary English Version
Don't blame God when you are tempted! God cannot be tempted by evil, and he doesn't use evil to tempt others.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. For God is not a tempter of evils, and he tempteth no man.

English Revised Version
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When someone is tempted, he shouldn't say that God is tempting him. God can't be tempted by evil, and God doesn't tempt anyone.

Good News Translation
If we are tempted by such trials, we must not say, "This temptation comes from God." For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

International Standard Version
When someone is tempted, he should not say, "I am being tempted by God," because God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.

Literal Standard Version
Let no one who is being tempted say, “I am tempted from God,” for God is not tempted by evils, and Himself tempts no one,

Majority Standard Bible
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.

New American Bible
No one experiencing temptation should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one.

NET Bible
Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

New Revised Standard Version
No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one.

New Heart English Bible
Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

Webster's Bible Translation
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

Weymouth New Testament
Let no one say when passing through trial, "My temptation is from God;" for God is incapable of being tempted to do evil, and He Himself tempts no one.

World English Bible
Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

Young's Literal Translation
Let no one say, being tempted -- 'From God I am tempted,' for God is not tempted of evil, and Himself doth tempt no one,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Good and Perfect Gifts
12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. 13When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. 14But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.…

Cross References
Genesis 22:1
Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he answered.

Matthew 4:7
Jesus replied, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

James 1:14
But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.


Treasury of Scripture

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man:

no man.

James 1:2,12
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; …

Genesis 3:12
And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

Isaiah 63:17
O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

evil.

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Evil Incapable Passing Possible Puts Tempt Temptation Tempted Tempting Tested Trial
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James 1
1. James greets the twelve tribes among the nations;
2. exhorts to rejoice in trials and temptations;
5. to ask patience of God;
13. and in our trials not to impute our weakness, or sins, to him,
19. but rather to hearken to the word, to meditate on it, and to do thereafter.
26. Otherwise men may seem, but never be, truly religious.














(13) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God.--Far be it from the true Christian either to give way to sin "that grace may abound" (Romans 6:1), or to suppose for one moment that God, and therefore power invincible, is drawing him from righteousness. Almost every reflection upon the nature of sin leads up to an inquiry as to its cause; and the enigma will hardly be solved in this life. The very facts of the presence of evil amongst God's creatures, and its continual attraction even for the best, have often driven men to doubt His supremacy. Sadly--how can we of charity think otherwise?--some have felt the pain, but not the purpose of the world. At times they cannot see in nature "the work of a Being at once good and omnipotent," and prefer to doubt the latter quality sooner than the former.[14] But this nineteenth-century conclusion is no advance beyond the dual system of the Persians, or rather, of Manes, who corrupted with his Indian fancies the faith of Zoroaster. The Manichees settled the difficulty better than our Deists by declaring the existence of a good God and a bad one; and appealed to the daily strife between virtue and vice, nay, life and death, in witness of their simple creed. Thanks to the gospel, a nobler theology is our Christian heritage, whereby we are persuaded that good will triumph at the last, and by which we are taught humility withal to own that God's ways in so permitting and overworking evil are beyond man's comprehension. And a better scepticism remains for us than that of the Theist, or Agnostic either; a disbelief more vehement that here can be the end, since in this life we experience in no sense the rewards of just and unjust to the full.

[14] Specially see J. S. Mill's "Three Essays on Religion." Nature, p. 38.

For God cannot be tempted with evil.--We can see here a good instance of the excellence of the old Geneva Bible, "the first on several occasions to seize the exact meaning of a passage which all the preceding versions had missed." Our present rendering follows the Genevan exactly, rejecting those of Wiclif. "God is not a tempter of yuell things"; Tyndale, "God tempteth not vnto evyll"; and Cranmer, "God cannot tempte vnto euyll."

Neither tempteth he any man.--The trial comes of Him, i.e., the Tempter is allowed; but so far, and no further. God Himself is "unversed of evils," and no possibility of temptation remains with Him. Into the unseen splendour of His fulness no thought of wrong can enter; no foul thing wing its silent flight. It were blasphemy, perilously near that of the Pharisees (Matthew 12:22-37) to think God's kingdom could be so divided against itself, that He, directly or indirectly, should seduce His subjects into the revolt of sin. No; if we have one golden clue by which we may feel our erring way out of the labyrinth of this lower world into the belief and trust in God our Father for the life to come, it is this: trials and temptations are permitted to strengthen us--if we will--for His mightier service. And, as compulsory homage would be worthless to the loving Lord of all, voluntary must be found instead, and proved and perfected. Herein is the Christian conflict, and the secret of God's ways with man.

Verse 13. - God is not the author of temptation; cf. Ecclus. 15:11, 12, "Say not thou, It is through the Lord that I fell away: for thou oughtest not to do the things that he hateth. Say not thou, He hath caused me to err: for he hath no need of the sinful man." From God; ἀπὸ Θεοῦ (the article is wanting in א, A, B, C, K, L). Contrast ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας. Ἀπὸ Θεοῦ is a more general expression than ὑπὸ Θεοῦ, which would refer the temptation immediately to God. Ἀπὸ Θεοῦ is frequently used as a kind of adverb divinitus. Cannot be tempted; ἀπείραστος: an ἅπαξ λεγόμενον. Syriac, "is not tempted with evils;" Vulgate, inten-tator malorum; R.V., "cannot be tempted of evil;" R.V. margin, "is untried in evil." Alford has a good note on this word, in which he points out that it has but two meanings:

(1) that has not been tried;

(2) that has not tried.

The rendering of the Vulgate is thus etymologically possible, but is against the context. The use of the word may, perhaps, be extended somewhat wider than the renderings given above would allow, so that it may be paraphrased as "out of the sphere of evils" (Farrar). Neither tempteth he, etc. Here the writer has in his mind the conception of a direct temptation from God. Αὐτός is emphatic. Render with R.V., And he himself tempteth no man.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
When tempted,
πειραζόμενος (peirazomenos)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3985: To try, tempt, test. From peira; to test, i.e. Endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline.

no one
Μηδεὶς (Mēdeis)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3367: No one, none, nothing.

should say,
λεγέτω (legetō)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

“God
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

is tempting me.”
πειράζομαι (peirazomai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 3985: To try, tempt, test. From peira; to test, i.e. Endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline.

For
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

God
Θεὸς (Theos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

cannot be tempted
ἀπείραστός (apeirastos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 551: Untried, inexperienced, untempted, incapable of being tempted. Untried, i.e. Not temptable.

by evil,
κακῶν (kakōn)
Adjective - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 2556: Bad, evil, in the widest sense. Apparently a primary word; worthless, i.e. depraved, or injurious.

[nor]
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

does He tempt
πειράζει (peirazei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3985: To try, tempt, test. From peira; to test, i.e. Endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline.

[anyone].
οὐδένα (oudena)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3762: No one, none, nothing.


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NT Letters: James 1:13 Let no man say when he (Ja Jas. Jam)
James 1:12
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