James 4

1 From whence are wars and contentions among you? Are they not hence, from your concupiscences, which war in your members?

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

2 You covet, and have not: you kill, and envy, and can not obtain. You contend and war, and you have not, because you ask not.

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

3 You ask, and receive not; because you ask amiss: that you may consume it on your concupiscences.

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

4 Adulterers, know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God.

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.

5 Or do you think that the scripture saith in vain: To envy doth the spirit covet which dwelleth in you?

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

6 But he giveth greater grace. Wherefore he saith: God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

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

7 Be subject therefore to God, but resist the devil, and he will fly from you.

Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, 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 double minded.

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

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

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

10 Be humbled in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.

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

11 Detract not one another, my brethren. He that detracteth his brother, or he that judgeth his brother, detracteth the law, and judgeth the law. But if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

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.

12 There is one lawgiver, and judge, that is able to destroy and to deliver.

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?

13 But who art thou that judgest thy neighbour? Behold, now you that say: Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and there we will spend a year, and will traffic, and make our gain.

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:

14 Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow.

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.

15 For what is your life? It is a vapour which appeareth for a little while, and afterwards shall vanish away. For that you should say: If the Lord will, and if we shall live, we will do this or that.

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

16 But now you rejoice in your arrogancies. All such rejoicing is wicked.

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

17 To him therefore who knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin.

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