James — Chapter 4

1What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you?

2You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.

3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.

4You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.

5Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy?

6But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

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

9Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom.

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

11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. And if you judge the law, you are not a practitioner of the law, but a judge of it.

12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

13Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.”

14You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

15Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.”

16As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil.

17Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.

1From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

2Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

4Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

5Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

11Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

13Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

14Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

15For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

16But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

17Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

1Whence [come] wars and whence [come] fightings among you? [come they] not hence, [even] of your pleasures that war in your members?

2Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not.

3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend [it] in your pleasures.

4Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God.

5Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?

6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore [the scripture] saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.

7Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.

9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you.

11Speak not one against another, brethren. He that speaketh against a brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12One [only] is the lawgiver and judge, [even] he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbor?

13Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain:

14whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

15For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that.

16But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil.

17To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

1Where do the conflicts and where do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside you?

2You desire and you do not have; you murder and envy and you cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask;

3you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.

4Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever decides to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy.

5Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, “The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning”?

6But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.”

7So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you.

8Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double-minded.

9Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into despair.

10Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.

11Do not speak against one another, brothers and sisters. He who speaks against a fellow believer or judges a fellow believer speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but its judge.

12But there is only one who is lawgiver and judge—the one who is able to save and destroy. On the other hand, who are you to judge your neighbor?

13Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that town and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.”

14You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? For you are a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes.

15You ought to say instead, “If the Lord is willing, then we will live and do this or that.”

16But as it is, you boast about your arrogant plans. All such boasting is evil.

17So whoever knows what is good to do and does not do it is guilty of sin.

1Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don’t they come from your pleasures that war in your members?

2You lust, and don’t have. You murder and covet, and can’t obtain. You fight and make war. You don’t have, because you don’t ask.

3You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

4You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

5Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously”?

6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

7Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

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

9Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom.

10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.

11Don’t speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother and judges 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.

12Only one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge another?

13Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow let’s go into this city, and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit.”

14Whereas you don’t know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15For you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that.”

16But now you glory in your boasting. All such boasting is evil.

17To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin.