James 1:14
New International Version
but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

New Living Translation
Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.

English Standard Version
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

Berean Standard Bible
But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.

Berean Literal Bible
But a man is tempted, being drawn away and being enticed by the own desire.

King James Bible
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

New King James Version
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

New American Standard Bible
But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

NASB 1995
But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

NASB 1977
But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

Legacy Standard Bible
But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

Amplified Bible
But each one is tempted when he is dragged away, enticed and baited [to commit sin] by his own [worldly] desire (lust, passion).

Christian Standard Bible
But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires.

American Standard Version
but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

Contemporary English Version
We are tempted by our own desires that drag us off and trap us.

English Revised Version
but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him.

Good News Translation
But we are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires.

International Standard Version
Instead, each person is tempted by his own desire, being lured and trapped by it.

Majority Standard Bible
But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.

NET Bible
But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires.

New Heart English Bible
But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

Webster's Bible Translation
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

Weymouth New Testament
But when a man is tempted, it is his own passions that carry him away and serve as a bait.

World English Bible
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
but each one is tempted, being led away and enticed by his own desires;

Berean Literal Bible
But a man is tempted, being drawn away and being enticed by the own desire.

Young's Literal Translation
and each one is tempted, by his own desires being led away and enticed,

Smith's Literal Translation
And each is tempted from his own lust, being drawn out, and decoyed.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But every man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Yet truly, each one is tempted by his own desires, having been enticed and drawn away.

New American Bible
Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

New Revised Standard Version
But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But every man is tempted by his own lust; and he covets and is enticed.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But each man is tempted from his own desire, and he lusts and he is seduced.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But every one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desire, and is deluded.

Godbey New Testament
but each one is tempted by his own lusts, being drawn out, and enticed.

Haweis New Testament
but every person is tempted, when by his own peculiar passion he is born away, and ensnared.

Mace New Testament
a man is instigated, and drawn into the snare by his own vicious passions, which once indulg'd, are productive of sin,

Weymouth New Testament
But when a man is tempted, it is his own passions that carry him away and serve as a bait.

Worrell New Testament
But each one is tempted, when by his own desire he is drawn away and enticed.

Worsley New Testament
But every man is tempted, when drawn aside and insnared by his own vehement desire.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Good and Perfect Gifts
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. 15Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.…

Cross References
Genesis 3:6
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.

1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.

Romans 7:23
But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.

Galatians 5:16-17
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. / For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.

Matthew 15:19
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.

Proverbs 7:21-23
With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him. / He follows her on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap, / until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare—not knowing it will cost him his life.

2 Peter 2:18
With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error.

Ephesians 2:3
All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.

Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Romans 6:12
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires.

1 Peter 2:11
Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.

Mark 7:21-23
For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, / greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. / All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”

Psalm 51:5
Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.

2 Timothy 3:6
They are the kind who worm their way into households and captivate vulnerable women who are weighed down with sins and led astray by various passions,


Treasury of Scripture

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

when.

James 4:1,2
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? …

Genesis 6:5
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Genesis 8:21
And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

Jump to Previous
Bait Carried Carry Desire Desires Dragged Drawn Enticed Evil Lust Passions Right Serve Tempted Tested Turned Way
Jump to Next
Bait Carried Carry Desire Desires Dragged Drawn Enticed Evil Lust Passions Right Serve Tempted Tested Turned Way
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.














But each one
This phrase emphasizes the universality of temptation. In the Greek, "hekastos" (ἕκαστος) signifies "each" or "every," underscoring that no one is exempt from the experience of temptation. This aligns with the biblical teaching that all have sinned (Romans 3:23). The individual nature of temptation is highlighted, reminding us that while the experience is common, the specifics can be unique to each person.

is tempted
The Greek word here is "peirazetai" (πειράζεται), which can mean to test or to tempt. In the context of James, it refers to the enticement to sin. This word choice indicates that temptation is an active process, not a passive state. It is a dynamic challenge that requires vigilance and spiritual strength to overcome, echoing the Lord's Prayer's plea to "lead us not into temptation" (Matthew 6:13).

when by his own evil desires
The phrase "by his own evil desires" translates the Greek "hupo tēs idias epithymias" (ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας). "Epithymias" (ἐπιθυμίας) refers to strong desires or lusts, often with a negative connotation. This highlights the internal origin of temptation, contrasting with external sources. It is a reminder of the fallen nature of humanity, where the heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). The phrase underscores personal responsibility in the face of temptation, as it arises from within rather than being imposed from without.

he is lured away
The Greek word "exelkomenos" (ἐξελκόμενος) is used here, which conveys the idea of being drawn out or dragged away. This imagery suggests a forceful movement, akin to a fish being drawn out of water by a baited hook. It illustrates the power of temptation to draw individuals away from their intended path, emphasizing the need for spiritual vigilance and the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11).

and enticed
The word "deleazomenos" (δελεαζόμενος) in Greek means to be baited or entrapped. This term is often used in the context of hunting or fishing, where bait is used to lure prey. It paints a vivid picture of how temptation operates, using seemingly attractive bait to ensnare. This serves as a warning to believers to be discerning and to recognize the deceptive nature of sin, which promises satisfaction but leads to spiritual death (Romans 6:23).

(14) So far the inspired Apostle has spoken of the outward part of temptation; now he lays bare the inner--for we suffer the two-fold evil. From without come the whispers of Satan, by himself or his legionaries, skilled in all that may entice and delude the unwary soul. And if the doctrine be true that to every one a guardian angel is appointed, so also would seem to be the opposite idea, that each has some demon of the pit watching him incessantly, and commissioned specially for his utter destruction. How terrible must be the skill of such assailants, experienced in the arts which have deceived mankind since the first fatal day. But there is the limit of external power in this matter; the ablest and subtlest fiend can but guess what is passing in its victim's mind, and shape its snares accordingly. God only is the discerner of hearts, and the "spirit of man which is in him" alone, with its Maker, "knoweth the things of a man" (1Corinthians 2:11). The Holy Spirit "searcheth all things" (James 1:10), and all are manifest in His sight (Hebrews 4:13), but to no less than His own omniscience. Satan, therefore, can merely act on his general knowledge of human nature, aided by particular guesses at the individual before him, whom he fain would destroy. He has learned too well the deep corruption of the heart, and knows what gaudy bait will most attract the longing and licentious eyes.

Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of (or, by) his own lust, and enticed.--Evil humanity thrills responsive as a harp played by a cunning hand; but no power of hell can force its way through the barriers which God the Holy Ghost erects around the faithful and confiding soul: only by treason of the man himself can the great enemy enter in and reign.

Verse 14 states the true origin of temptation. While the occasion might be of God "in the order of his providence and of our spiritual training," the inclination is not of him. Compare with this verse the description of the harlot in Proverbs 7:6-27. Here lust is personified, and represented as a seducing harlot, to whose embraces man yields, and the result is the birth of sin, which in its turn gives birth to death.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

each one
ἕκαστος (hekastos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1538: Each (of more than two), every one. As if a superlative of hekas; each or every.

is tempted
πειράζεται (peirazetai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3985: To try, tempt, test. From peira; to test, i.e. Endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline.

[when] by
ὑπὸ (hypo)
Preposition
Strong's 5259: A primary preposition; under, i.e. of place, or with verbs; of place (underneath) or where (below) or time (when).

[his]
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

own
ἰδίας (idias)
Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2398: Pertaining to self, i.e. One's own; by implication, private or separate.

evil desires
ἐπιθυμίας (epithymias)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 1939: Desire, eagerness for, inordinate desire, lust. From epithumeo; a longing.

he is lured away
ἐξελκόμενος (exelkomenos)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1828: From ek and helkuo; to drag forth, i.e. to entice.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

enticed.
δελεαζόμενος (deleazomenos)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1185: To allure, entice (by a bait). From the base of dolos; to entrap, i.e. delude.


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NT Letters: James 1:14 But each one is tempted when he (Ja Jas. Jam)
James 1:13
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