Iacobi 4
1 Unde bella, et lites in vobis? Nonne hinc? Ex concupiscentiis vestris, quæ militant in membris vestris?
What is the cause of the fighting and quarrelling that goes on among you? Isn’t it to be found in the desires which are always at war within you?
2 Concupiscitis, et non habetis: occiditis, et zelatis: et non potestis adipisci: litigatis, et belligeratis, et non habetis, propter quod non postulatis.
You crave, yet do not have, so you commit murder, so You covet, yet cannot gain your end. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.
3 Petitis, et non accipitis: eo quod male petatis: ut in concupiscentiis vestris insumatis.
You ask, yet do not receive, because you ask for a wrong purpose – to spend what you get on your pleasures.
4 Adulteri nescitis quia amicitia huius mundi, inimica est Dei? Quicumque ergo voluerit amicus esse sæculi huius, inimicus Dei constituitur.
Unfaithful people! Don’t you know that to be friends with the world means to be at enmity with God? Therefore whoever chooses to be friends with the world makes himself an enemy to God.
5 An putatis quia inaniter Scriptura dicat: Ad invidiam concupiscit spiritus, qui habitat in vobis?
Do you suppose scripture means nothing when it says, “Envy results from the longings of the spirit which God has implanted within you?”
6 Maiorem autem dat gratiam. Propter quod dicit: Deus superbis resistit, humilibus autem dat gratiam.
But he gives us greater grace; and that is why it says, – “God opposes the haughty, but gives grace to the humble.”
7 Subditi ergo estote Deo, resistite autem diabolo, et fugiet a vobis.
Therefore submit to God. Stand up to the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Appropinquate Deo, et appropinquabit vobis. Emundate manus, peccatores: et purificate corda, duplices animo.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Make your hands clean, you sinners; and your hearts pure, you vacillators!
9 Miseri estote, et lugete, et plorate: risus vester in luctum convertatur, et gaudium in mœrorem.
Grieve, mourn, and lament! Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your happiness to gloom!
10 Humiliamini in conspectu Domini, et exaltabit vos.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
11 Nolite detrahere alterutrum fratres. Qui detrahit fratri, aut qui iudicat fratrem suum, detrahit legi, et iudicat legem. Si autem iudicas legem: non es factor legis, sed iudex.
Do not disparage one another, friends. The person who disparages others, or passes judgment on them, disparages the Law and passes judgment on the Law. But, if you pass judgment on the Law, you are not obeying it, but judging it.
12 Unus est legislator, et iudex, qui potest perdere, et liberare.
There is only one lawgiver and judge – he who has the power both to save and to destroy. So then who are you to pass judgment on your neighbour?
13 Tu autem quis es, qui iudicas proximum? Ecce nunc qui dicitis: Hodie, aut crastino ibimus in illam civitatem, et faciemus ibi quidem annum, et mercabimur, et lucrum faciemus:
Listen to me, you who say “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money,”
14 qui ignoratis quid erit in crastino.
yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow! For you are but a puff of smoke that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
15 Quæ est enim vita vestra? Vapor est ad modicum parens, et deinceps exterminabitur; pro eo ut dicatis: Si Dominus voluerit. Et: Si vixerimus, faciemus hoc, aut illud.
Instead you should say “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
16 Nunc autem exultatis in superbiis vestris. Omnis exultatio talis, maligna est.
But as it is, you are boasting presumptuously! All such boasting is wicked.
17 Scienti igitur bonum facere, et non facienti, peccatum est illi.
The person, then, who knows what is right but fails to do it – that is sin in them.
