James 1:15 (DBY)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

James 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation nor shadow of turning.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lust", "having", "conceived", "gives", "birth", "fully", "completed", and "brings". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lust" and "having", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "But every one is tempted drawn away..." into verse 16's "Do not err my beloved brethren...", so "lust" and "having" 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 "lust" and "having" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.