James 4:9 “Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy…”

James 4:9

Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

World English Bible

Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

American Standard Version

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

Geneva Bible 1599

Suffer afflictions, and sorrowe ye, and weepe: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your ioy into heauinesse.

Darby Translation

Be wretched, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and [your] joy to heaviness.

Young's Literal Translation

be exceeding afflicted, and mourn, and weep, let your laughter to mourning be turned, and the joy to heaviness;

Bible in Basic English

Be troubled, with sorrow and weeping; let your laughing be turned to sorrow and your joy to grief.

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Cross references

“afflicted”

Matthew 5:4 Psalm 119:67 Jeremiah 31:18–20 Ezekiel 16:63 Ezekiel 7:16 Zechariah 12:10–14

Matthew 5:4 · BSB

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Psalm 119:67 · BSB

Before I was afflicted, I went astray; but now I keep Your word.

Jeremiah 31:18–20 · BSB

I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, that I may return, for You are the LORD my God.

Ezekiel 16:63 · BSB

so that when I make atonement for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your disgrace, declares the Lord GOD.”

Ezekiel 7:16 · BSB

The survivors will escape and live in the mountains, moaning like doves of the valley, each for his own iniquity.

Zechariah 12:10–14 · BSB

Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and gr…

“let”

Luke 6:25 Proverbs 14:13 Job 30:31 Lamentations 5:15 Luke 16:25 Ecclesiastes 2:2

Luke 6:25 · BSB

Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

Proverbs 14:13 · BSB

Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in sorrow.

Job 30:31 · BSB

My harp is tuned to mourning and my flute to the sound of weeping.

Lamentations 5:15 · BSB

Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.

Luke 16:25 · BSB

But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.

Ecclesiastes 2:2 · BSB

I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

8Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

Read James 4