James 1:13

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.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Whenever you feel tempted to do something bad, you should not say, "God is tempting me." Evil cannot tempt God, and God himself does not tempt anyone.

Revised Standard Version
Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Let no man saye when he is tepted that he is tempted of God. For God tepteth not vnto evyll nether tepteth he anie ma.

Hebrew Names Version
Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

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.

New Century Version
When people are tempted, they should not say, "God is tempting me." Evil cannot tempt God, and God himself does not tempt anyone.

Update Bible Version
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God can't be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no man:

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:

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.

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

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Let no man when he is tempted say, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.

Weymouth's 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.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
No man whanne he is temptid, seie, that he is temptid of God; for whi God is not a temptere of yuele thingis, for he temptith 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:

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.

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.

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.

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:

Bible in Basic English
Let no man say when he is tested, I am tested by God; for it is not possible for God to be tested by evil, and he himself puts no man to such a test:

Complete Jewish Bible
No one being tempted should say, "I am being tempted by God." For God cannot be tempted by evil, and God himself tempts no one.

Darby Translation
Let no man, being tempted, say, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted by evil things, and 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.

Etheridge Translation
Let no man say, when he is tempted, From Aloha I am tempted; for Aloha is not tempted with evils, and he no man tempteth.

Murdock Translation
Let no one when he is tempted, say, I am tempted of God: for God is not tempted with evils, nor doth he tempt any man.

King James Version (1611)
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with euill, neither tempteth he any man.

New Life Bible
When you are tempted to do wrong, do not say, "God is tempting me." God cannot be tempted. He will never tempt anyone.

New Revised Standard
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.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Let no man say when hee is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God can not bee tempted with euill, neither tempteth he any man.

George Lamsa Translation
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither does he tempt any man:

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Let, no one, while tempted, be saying - From God, am I tempted, - for, God, cannot be tempted by things evil, and, himself, tempteth no one;

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.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God can not be tempted with euyl, neither tempteth he any man:

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.

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.

King James Version
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:

Lexham English Bible
No one who is being tempted should say, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

Literal Translation
Let no one being tempted say, I am tempted from God. For God is not tempted by evil, and He 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,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Let no man saye when he is tempted, yt he is tempted of God. For God tepteth not vnto euell, nether tepteth he eny man.

Mace New Testament (1729)
Let no man under temptation, say, it is God that tempts him; for as he is incapable of moral evil, he can't influence any one thereto.

THE MESSAGE
Don't let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, "God is trying to trip me up." God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one's way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.

New English Translation
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 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.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Don't ever catch yourself thinkin' or sayin' God's trying to get you to ride somewhere or do somethin' that ain't right. The Boss can't be seduced by such things and he ain't gonna do that to you either.

New American Standard Bible (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.

Contextual Overview

¹³ 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. ¹⁴ Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. ¹⁵ These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. ¹⁶ So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. ¹⁸ He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

no man: James 1:2, James 1:12, Genesis 3:12, Isaiah 63:17, Habakkuk 2:12, Habakkuk 2:13, Romans 9:19, Romans 9:20,

evil: or, evils

Reciprocal: Exodus 8:32 - General Deuteronomy 29:4 - General 2 Samuel 24:1 - he 1 Chronicles 21:1 - Satan 2 Chronicles 18:19 - Who shall entice 2 Chronicles 32:31 - to try him Job 34:10 - far Psalms 101:3 - set Psalms 141:4 - Incline not Proverbs 12:26 - but Matthew 15:19 - evil John 13:2 - put John 13:27 - That Romans 7:13 - But sin 1 Thessalonians 3:5 - lest Revelation 17:17 - put

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Let no man say when he is tempted,.... Here the apostle uses the word "tempted", in another sense than he did before. Before he speaks of temptations, as matter of joy and boasting, here of temptations, which are criminal, and issue in shame and death; the temptations he before makes mention of, being patiently endured, denominate men happy, but here such are designed, which are to be deprecated, and watched against; before he treats of temptations, which were the means of trying and exercising grace, and of purging away the dross of sin and corruption, but here of temptations to sin, and which are in themselves sinful; before he discourses of temptations in which God was concerned; but here of temptations which he removes from him, and denies of him, as being unworthy of him: wherefore, when any man is tempted to sin, whether when under adversity, or in prosperity, let him not say,

I am tempted of God; for God is holy, and without iniquity, nor does he delight in sin, but hates and abhors it; nor can he commit it, it being contrary to his nature, and the perfections of it; whereas no one can tempt another to sin, unless he is sinful himself, and delights in sin, and in those that commit it, nor without committing it himself; and yet sinful men are apt to charge God with their sins, and temptations to them, in imitation of their first parent, Adam, when fallen, Genesis 3:12 who, to excuse himself, lays the blame upon the woman, and ultimately upon God, who gave her to him; and suggests, that if it had not been for the woman, he should not have ate of the forbidden fruit, nor should he have had any temptation to it, had not God given him the woman to be with him, and therefore it was his fault; and in this sad manner do his sons and daughters reason, who, when, through affliction, they murmur against God, distrust his providence, or forsake his ways, say, if he had not laid his hand upon them, or suffered such afflictions to befall them, they had not been guilty of such sin: he himself is the occasion of them; but let no man talk at this wicked rate,

for God cannot be tempted with evil; or "evils", He was tempted by the Israelites at Massah and Meribah, from which those places had their names, who by their murmuring, distrust and unbelief, proved and tried his patience and his power; and so he may be, and has been tempted by others in a like way; he may be tempted by evil men, and with evil things, but he cannot be tempted "to evil", as the Ethiopic version renders it; he is proof against all such temptations: he cannot be tempted by anything in himself, who is pure and holy, or by any creature or thing without him, to do any sinful action:

neither tempteth he any man; that is, to sin; he tempted Abraham, to try his faith, love, and obedience to him; he tempted the Israelites in the wilderness, to try them and humble them, and prove what was in their hearts; and he tempted Job, and tried his faith and patience; and so he tempts and tries all his righteous ones, by afflictions, more or less: but he never tempts or solicits them to sin; temptations to sin come from another quarter, as follows.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God - See the remarks on the previous verse. The apostle here seems to have had his eye on whatever there was in trial of any kind to induce us to commit sin - whether by complaining, by murmuring, by apostacy, or by yielding to sin. So far as that was concerned, he said that no one should charge it on God. He did nothing in any way with a view to induce men to do evil. That was only an incidental thing in the trial, and was no part of the divine purpose or design. The apostle felt evidently that there was great danger, from the general manner in which the word “temptation” was used, and from the perverse tendency of the heart, that it would be charged on God that he so arranged these trials, and so influenced the mind, as to present inducements to sin. Against this, it was proper that an inspired apostle should bear his solemn testimony; so to guard the whole subject as to show that whatever there was in any form of trial that could be regarded as an inducement or allurement to sin, is not the thing which he contemplated in the arrangement, and does not proceed from him. It has its origin in other causes; and if there was nothing in the corrupt human mind itself leading to sin, there would be nothing in the divine arrangement that would produce it.

For God cannot be tempted with evil - Margin, “evils.” The sense is the same. The object seems to be to show that, in regard to the whole matter of temptation, it does not pertain to God. Nothing can be presented to his mind as an inducement to do wrong, and as little can he present anything to the mind of man to induce him to sin. Temptation is a subject which does not pertain to him. He stands aloof from it altogether. In regard to the particular statement here, that “God cannot be tempted with evil,” or to do evil, there can be no doubt of its truth, and it furnishes the highest security for the welfare of the universe. There is nothing in him that has a tendency to wrong; there can be nothing presented from without to induce him to do wrong:

1. There is no evil passion to be gratified, as there is in men;
2. There is no want of power, so that an allurement could be presented to seek what he has not;
3. There is no want of wealth, for he has infinite resources, and all that there is or can be is his Psalms 50:10-11;
4. There is no want of happiness, that he should seek happiness in sources which are not now in his possession. Nothing, therefore, could be presented to the divine mind as an inducement to do evil.

Neither tempteth he any man - That is, he places nothing before any human being with a view to induce him to do wrong. This is one of the most positive and unambiguous of all the declarations in the Bible, and one of the most important. It may be added, that it is one which stands in opposition to as many feelings of the human heart as perhaps any other one. We are perpetually thinking - the heart suggests it constantly - that God does place before us inducements to evil, with a view to lead us to sin. This is done in many ways:

1. People take such views of his decrees as if the doctrine implied that he meant that we should sin, and that it could not be otherwise than that we should sin.
2. It is felt that all things are under his control, and that he has made his arrangements with a design that men should do as they actually do.
3. It is said that he has created us with just such dispositions as we actually have, and knowing that we would sin.
4. It is said that, by the arrangements of his Providence, he actually places inducements before us to sin, knowing that the effect will be that we will fall into sin, when we might easily have prevented it.
5. It is said that he suffers some to tempt others, when he might easily prevent it if he chose, and that this is the same as tempting them himself.

Now, in regard to these things, there may be much which we cannot explain, and much which often troubles the heart even of the good; yet the passage before us is explicit on one point, and all these things must be held in consistency with that - that God does not place inducements before us with a view that we should sin, or in order to lead us into sin. None of his decrees, or his arrangements, or his desires, are based on that, but all have some other purpose and end. The real force of temptation is to be traced to some other source - to ourselves, and not to God. See the next verse.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 13. Let no man say — Lest the former sentiment should be misapplied, as the word temptation has two grand meanings, solicitation to sin, and trial from providential situation or circumstances, James, taking up the word in the former sense, after having used it in the latter, says: Let no man say, when he is tempted, (solicited to sin,) I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he (thus) any man. Thus the author has explained and guarded his meaning.