English Standard Version ESV
The Message Bible MSG
13 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.
13
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.
14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
14
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.
15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
15
Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
16
So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
17
Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle.
18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
18
He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.