James 4

1 Now I will tell you why you are fighting among yourselves and quarreling with each other [RHQ]. It is [RHQ] because each of you wants to do evil things [PRS]. You keep on wanting to do things that are not [what God wants you to do].

Woher kommt Streit und Krieg unter euch? Kommt's nicht daher, aus euren Wollüsten, die da streiten in euren Gliedern?

2 There are things that you [very much] desire to have, but you do not get [those things, so] you [want to] kill [HYP] [those who hinder you from getting them]. You desire what [other people have], but you are unable to get [what you desire, so] you quarrel and fight [with one another] [HYP]. You do not have [what you desire] because you do not ask [God for it].

Ihr seid begierig und erlanget es damit nicht; ihr hasset und neidet und gewinnet damit nichts; ihr streitet und krieget. Ihr habt nicht, darum daß ihr nicht bittet.

3 [And even when] you do ask [him], he does not give you [what you ask for] because you are asking for the wrong reason. [You are asking for things] in order that you may use them just to (enjoy yourselves/make yourselves happy).

Ihr bittet und krieget nicht, darum daß ihr übel bittet, nämlich dahin, daß ihr's mit euren Wollüsten verzehret.

4 [Like] a woman who is unfaithful to her husband, you [are being unfaithful to God and not obeying him any more] [MET]. Those who are behaving as evil people do [MTY] (OR, Those who love [the evil pleasures of] this world) are hostile toward God. Perhaps you do not realize that [RHQ]. So those who decide to act as evil people do [MTY] become enemies of God.

Ihr Ehebrecher und Ehebrecherinnen, wisset ihr nicht, daß der Welt Freund schaft Gottes Feindschaft ist? Wer der Welt Freund sein will, der wird Gottes Feind sein.

5 (Surely you remember that [God told us in] the Scriptures that he eagerly desires that his Spirit, who lives in us, will help us to love [God] only!/Do you think that it is for no reason that [God told us in] the Scriptures that he strongly desires that his Spirit, who lives in us, will help us to love [God] only?) [RHQ] God has a reason for desiring that.

Oder lasset ihr euch dünken, die Schrift sage umsonst: Den Geist, der in euch wohnet, gelüstet wider den Haß?

6 [It is because] he is kind [to us and he] wants very much to help us. That is why (someone said/[King Solomon] wrote) [in the Scriptures], “God opposes those who are proud, but he helps those who are humble.”

Und gibt reichlich Gnade, sintemal die Schrift sagt: Gott widerstehet den Hoffärtigen, aber den Demütigen gibt er Gnade.

7 So submit yourselves to God. (Resist the devil/Refuse to do what the devil wants), and [as a result] he will run away from you.

So seid nun Gott untertänig. Wider stehet dem Teufel, so flieht er von euch.

8 Come near [spiritually] to God, and [as a result] he will come near to you. You who are sinners, stop doing what is wrong, and do only what is good [SYN, MET]. You who cannot decide [whether you will] ([commit yourselves to God/obey God completely]), stop thinking wrong thoughts, and think only pure thoughts [MTY].

Nahet euch zu Gott, so nahet er sich zu euch. Reiniget die Hände, ihr Sünder, und machet eure Herzen keusch, ihr Wankelmütigen!

9 Be sorrowful and weep/mourn [DOU] [because of the wrong things that you have done]. Do not laugh [DOU], ([enjoying only what you selfishly/enjoying only what you yourselves]) [desire]. Instead, be sad [because you have done what is wrong].

Seid elend und traget Leid und weinet! Euer Lachen verkehre sich in Weinen und eure Freude in Traurigkeit.

10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and [as a result] he will honor you.

Demütiget euch vor Gott, so wird er euch erhöhen.

11 My fellow believers, stop saying evil things about one another, [because] those who say something evil about a fellow believer and [are therefore] condemning [one who is like] a brother [to them] are really speaking against the law [that God gave us to obey]. [In this law, God commanded] [MTY] [us to love others], and those who say evil things about fellow believers, [it is as though] they are saying that we do not have to do what [God] commanded. If you [(sg)] say that you do not have to do what God commanded, you [(sg)] are not obeying God’s law. Instead, you [(sg)] are claiming that you [have the authority] to condemn [others].

Afterredet nicht untereinander, liebe Brüder! Wer seinem Bruder afterredet und urteilet seinen Bruder, der afterredet dem Gesetz und urteilet das Gesetz. Urteilest du aber das Gesetz, so bist du nicht ein Täter des Gesetzes, sondern ein Richter.

12 [But in fact], there is only one who [has the authority to] tell [people] what is right to do and to condemn [them, and that is God]. He alone is able to save [people] or to destroy people. [So], (you [(sg)] certainly have no right to decide how God should punish other people./who are you to decide how God should punish other people?) [RHQ]

Es ist ein einiger Gesetzgeber, der kann selig machen und verdammen. Wer bist du, der du einen andern urteilest?

13 [Some of you] are [arrogantly] saying, “Today or tomorrow we will go to a certain city. We will spend a year there and we will buy and sell things and earn a lot of money.” Now, you listen to me!

Wohlan, die ihr nun saget: Heute oder morgen wollen wir gehen in die oder die Stadt und wollen ein Jahr da liegen und hantieren und gewinnen,

14 [You should not talk like that, because] you do not know what will happen tomorrow, and you do not know [how long] you will live! Your life [is short] [MET], [like] a mist that appears for a short time and then disappears.

die ihr nicht wisset, was morgen sein wird. Denn was ist euer Leben? Ein Dampf ist's, der eine kleine Zeit währet, danach aber verschwindet er.

15 Instead of [what you are saying], you should say, “If the Lord wills/desires, we will live and do this or that.”

Dafür ihr sagen solltet: So der HERR will, und wir leben, wollen wir dies oder das tun.

16 But what you are doing is boasting about all the things that you arrogantly [plan to do]. Your boasting like that is evil.

Nun aber rühmet ihr euch in eurem Hochmut. Aller solcher Ruhm ist böse.

17 So if anyone knows the right thing that he should do, [but] he does not do it, he is sinning.

Denn wer da weiß, Gutes zu tun, und tut's nicht, dem ist's Sünde.