James 4

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

Whence is it, that there are among you fightings and broils? Is it not from the lusts, which war in your members?

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

Ye covet, and possess not; and ye kill, and envy, and effect nothing: and ye fight and make attacks; and ye have not, because ye ask not.

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

Ye ask, and receive not; because ye ask wickedly, that ye may pamper your lusts.

4 Ye 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.

Ye adulterers, know ye not, that the love of the world is hostility towards God? He therefore who chooseth to be a lover of this world, is the enemy of God.

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

Or think ye, that the scripture hath vainly said: The spirit dwelling in us lusteth with envy?

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

But our Lord hath given us more grace. Therefore he said: The Lord humbleth the lofty, and giveth grace to the lowly.

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

Subject yourselves therefore to God; and stand firm against Satan, and he will flee from you.

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

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners: sanctify your hearts, ye divided in mind.

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

Humble yourselves, and mourn: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into grief.

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

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

11 Speak 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.

Speak not against each other, my brethren; for he that speaketh against his brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law. And if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but its judge.

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

There is one Law-giver and Judge, who can make alive, and can destroy: but who art thou, that thou judgest thy neighbor?

13 Come 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:

But what shall we say of those, who say: To-day or to-morrow we will go to such or such a city, and will abide there a year; and we will traffic, and get gain?

14 whereas 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.

And they know not what will be to-morrow: for what is our life, but an exhalation that is seen a little while, and then vanisheth and is gone?

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

Whereas they should say: If the Lord please, and we live, we will do this or that.

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

They glory in their vaunting. All such glorying is evil.

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

He that knoweth the good, and doeth it not, to him is sin.