James 1:13 (DBY)

Passage

Let no man, being tempted, say, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted by evil things, and himself tempts no one.

Nearby Context

James 1:11 For the sun has risen with its burning heat, and has withered the grass, and its flower has fallen, and the comeliness of its look has perished: thus the rich also shall wither in his goings.

James 1:12 Blessed [is the] man who endures temptation; for, having been proved, he shall receive the crown of life, which He has promised to them that love him.

James 1:13 Let no man, being tempted, say, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted by evil things, and himself tempts no one.

James 1:14 But every one is tempted, drawn away, and enticed by his own lust;

James 1:15 then lust, having conceived, gives birth to sin; but sin fully completed brings forth death.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "tempted", "evil", "things", "himself", and "tempts". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "tempted" and "evil", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "Blessed is the man who endures temptation..." into verse 14's "But every one is tempted drawn away...", so "tempted" and "evil" belong inside that flow. In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "tempted" and "evil" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.