eng_aiv Amundson Interpretive Version James James James Jas James id=eng_aiv name=Amundson Interpretive Version (AIV) status=draft spec=USFM-USX 3.1.1 export=2026-11-02 char:add=translator-addition-italic char:wj=words-of-Jesus-as-received-unmapped note:f=footnotes para:r=parallel-passage-references para:d=psalm-superscriptions A Greeting from James (Jude 1:1–2) James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Diaspora:1.1 Or To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion. Originally referring to the Jewish people living outside the land of Israel, the Diaspora is applied here to the Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings. Rejoicing in Trials (Philippians 1:12–20) Esteem it all joy, my brothers, when you⁺ might fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your⁺ faith produces perseverance. And let endurance have its perfect work, so that you⁺ may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Now if any of you⁺ lacks wisdom, let him ask from God, the One giving generously to all and not reproaching, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing, for the one doubting is like a wave of the sea, being blown and being tossed by the wind. For let that man not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-souled man, unstable in all his ways. But let the brother of humbleness boast in his exaltation, and the one who is rich in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a flower of grass. For the sun rose with its burning heat and withered the grass, and its flower fell, and the beauty of its appearance perished. Thus also the rich man will fade away in his pursuits. Blessed is the man who endures trial, because, having been approved, he will receive the crown of life that He promised1.12 BYZ and TR the Lord promised to those loving Him. Good and Perfect Gifts Let no one being tempted say, “I am being tempted from God.” For God is unable to be tempted by evils, and He Himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted, being dragged away and being enticed by his own desire. Then desire, having conceived, gives birth to sin; and sin, having become fully grown, brings forth death. Do not be misled, my beloved brothers. Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.1.17 Or there is no change or shifting shadow. Having willed it, He brought us forth by the word of truth, for us to be a certain firstfruits of His creatures.1.18 Or of His creatures. Hearing and Doing Know this,1.19 BYZ and TR So then my beloved brothers: But let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for man’s anger does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, having put off all filthiness and abundance of wickedness, accept in meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your⁺ souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding yourselves, because if anyone is a hearer of the word1.23 F35 law and not a doer, this one is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror, for he observed himself and has gone away, and immediately he forgot what kind he was. But the one having looked intently into the perfect law, that of freedom, and having continued in it, not having been a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work—this one will be blessed in his doing. If anyone1.26 BYZ and TR include among you. thinks to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, the religion of this one is futile. Pure and undefiled religion before the God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their tribulation, to keep oneself unstained from the world. A Warning against Favoritism My brothers, do not in partiality hold the faith from our Lord Jesus Christ of glory. For if a man might come into your⁺ synagogue2.2 Or your assembly in splendid apparel with a gold ring, and a poor one in filthy apparel also might come in, and you⁺ might look upon the man bearing the splendid apparel and might say, “You sit here well,” and to the poor one might say, “You stand,” or, “Sit there under my footstool,2.3 BYZ and TR “Yoʋ stand there,” or, “sit here under my footstool,”” then did you⁺ not make a distinction among yourselves and become judges with evil reasonings? Listen, my beloved brothers: Did not God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He promised to those loving Him? But you⁺ dishonored the poor one. Do not the rich oppress you⁺, and they drag you⁺ into court? Do they not blaspheme the good Name having been called upon you⁺?2.7 Or the noble name invoked upon you or the noble name of Him to whom you belong If indeed you⁺ fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you⁺ are doing well. 2.8 Leviticus 19:18 But if you⁺ show partiality, you⁺ are working sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, but shall stumble in one part, he has become guilty of all. For the One having said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.”2.11 Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18 But if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 2.11 Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17 So speak and so act as being about to be judged by the law of freedom. For judgment without mercy will be to the one not having done mercy. Mercy exults over judgment. Faith and Works (Galatians 3:1–9) What is the gain, my brothers, if anyone says to have faith, but has no works? Is the faith able to save him? Now if a brother or a sister is naked and lacking of daily food, and anyone of you⁺ says to them, “Go in peace; be warmed and be filled,” but does not give to them the needful things for the body, what is the gain? So also, faith, if it has no works,2.17 Or if it does not result in action is dead by itself. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show to me your faith without works,2.18 BYZ and Stephanus TR (apart) from your works and I will show to you faith by my works. You believe that God is one.2.19 Or that there is one God You do well! Even the demons believe that, and shudder! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is idle?2.20 BYZ and TR dead Was not Abraham our father justified by works, having offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and by works, faith was perfected. And the Scripture was fulfilled, the one saying, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.2.23 Genesis 15:6 2.23 See Isaiah 41:8. You⁺ see2.24 BYZ and TR include then. that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. And likewise was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, having received the messengers2.25 Or spies and having sent them out by another way? For just as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. Taming the Tongue (Psalm 64:1–10) Let not many become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive greater judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in word, this one is a perfect man, able to bridle even the whole body. Now if we put bits into the mouths of the horses for them to obey us, we turn about even their whole body. Behold also the ships, being so great and being driven by strong winds, are turned about by a very small rudder where the impulse of the one steering intends. So also the tongue is a small member, and it boasts great things. Behold what size a fire, what size a forest it kindles. And the tongue is a fire, the world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, and setting aflame the course of nature, and itself being set aflame by Gehenna.3.6 Or hell For every nature both of beasts and of birds, both of creeping things and things of the sea, is subdued and has been subdued by the human race, but no one of men is able to subdue the tongue; it is an unstable evil,3.8 BYZ and TR an unruly evil full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord3.9 BYZ and TR God and Father, and with it we curse men, those having been made according to the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth come out blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does the spring send forth out of the same opening sweet and bitter?3.11 Or both fresh water and salt water Is a fig tree able, my brothers, to make olives, or a vine, figs? Neither can salt prooduce sweet water.3.12 BYZ and TR No spring can produce both salt water and fresh water The Wisdom from Above Who is wise and understanding among you⁺? Let him show it out of the good conduct his works in meekness of wisdom. But if you⁺ have bitter jealousy and self-interest in your⁺ heart, do not boast and lie against the truth. This is not the wisdom coming down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and self-interest are, there are disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is indeed first pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and of good fruits, impartial, unhypocritical. And the fruit of righteousness in peace is sown by those making peace.3.18 Or Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness. A Warning against Pride From where are battles and from where are fights among you⁺? Is it not from there, out of your⁺ pleasures warring in your⁺ members? You⁺ desire, and you⁺ do not have. You⁺ murder and are jealous, and you⁺ are not able to obtain. You⁺ fight and battle. You⁺ do not have, because you⁺ do not ask. You⁺ ask and do not receive, because you⁺ ask wrongly, that you⁺ may spend it in your⁺ pleasures. Adulteresses!4.4 See Hosea 3:1. Do you⁺ not know that friendship of the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever should wish to be a friend of the world is appointed4.4 Or renders himself an enemy of God. Or do you⁺ think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit4.5 Or The spirit that He made to dwell4.5 BYZ and TR The Spirit who dwells in us yearns with envy”? But He gives greater grace. Therefore it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 4.6 Proverbs 3:34 (see also LXX) Drawing Near to God Therefore subject yourselves to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you⁺. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you⁺. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify hearts, you double-souled. Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your⁺ laughter be turned to mourning and the joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you⁺. Do not speak against one another, brothers. The one speaking against a brother or4.11 BYZ and TR and judging his brother speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge. One is the Lawgiver and Judge,4.12 RP and TR do not include and Judge. the One being able to save and to destroy. But who are you, the one judging the neighbor?4.12 BYZ and TR to judge the other? Do Not Boast about Tomorrow (Proverbs 27:1) Come now, those saying, “Today or tomorrow we will go4.13 BYZ and Stephanus TR Today and tomorrow let us go into this city, and will spend a year there and will trade and make gain,” who do not know what is of tomorrow. What is your⁺ life? For it is a vapor appearing for a little while and then vanishing. Instead, you⁺ ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, both we will live and we will do4.15 BYZ and Stephanus TR let us live and do this or that.” But now you⁺ boast in your⁺ arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore to the one knowing to do good, and not doing it, to him it is sin. A Warning to the Rich (Proverbs 23:1–5; 1 Timothy 6:17–19) Come now, you rich, weep, wailing over the miseries that are coming upon you⁺. Your⁺ riches have rotted and your⁺ garments have become moth-eaten. Your⁺ gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be for a testimony against you⁺ and will eat your⁺ flesh like fire. You⁺ treasured up in the last days. Behold, the wage of the workers having mowed your⁺ fields—that having been kept back by you⁺—cries out, and the cries of those having reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts.5.4 Or the Lord of Armies or the Lord of the Saboath You⁺ lived in luxury and you⁺ lived in self-indulgence upon the earth. You⁺ fattened your⁺ hearts in5.5 BYZ and TR as in. the day of slaughter. You⁺ condemned and murdered the righteous one; he does not resist you⁺. Patience in Suffering (Job 1:1–5) Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the earth, being patient for it until it receives the early and the late.5.7 Or the fall and spring rains You⁺ also be patient; strengthen your⁺ hearts, because the coming of the Lord has drawn near. Do not groan against one another, brothers, so that you⁺ might not be judged.5.9 TR condemned Behold, the Judge is standing before the doors. Brothers,5.10 RP and TR My brothers as an example of suffering evil and of patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we count blessed those having endured. You⁺ heard of the perseverance of Job, and you⁺ saw the outcome of the Lord, that the Lord is5.11 BYZ that He is full of compassion and is merciful. But before all things, my brothers, do not swear, neither by heaven nor the earth nor any other oath. But let your⁺ “Yes” be yes, and the “No,” no, so that you⁺ might not fall under judgment.5.12 BYZ and Stephanus TR into hypocrisy The Prayer of Faith Is anyone among you⁺ suffering evil? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises. Is anyone among you⁺ sick? Let him summon the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, having anointed him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one ailing, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he might be one having committed sins, it will be forgiven him. Therefore confess the sins5.16 BYZ and TR Confess the trespasses to one another and pray for one another, so that you⁺ may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man being made effective prevails much. Elijah was a man of like nature to us, and with prayer he prayed for it not to rain, and it did not rain upon the land three years and six months. And again he prayed, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. Restoring a Sinner My brothers,5.19 BYZ and TR Brothers, if if anyone among you⁺ should wander from the truth, and anyone should turn him back, let him know that the one having turned back a sinner from the wandering of his way will save his soul5.20 BYZ and TR a soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.