Iacobi 4
1 Unde bella, et lites in vobis? Nonne ex concupiscentiis vestris, quae militant in membris vestris?
Where do the wars and disputes among you come from? Is it not precisely from your pleasures, the ones at war in your members?
2 Concupiscitis, et non habetis: occiditis, et zelatis: et non potestis adipisci: litigatis, et belligeratis, et non habetis, propter quod non postulatis.
You crave and do not have; you murder and covet and are not able to obtain; you fight and war. 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 and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so that you may lavish it on your pleasures.
4 Adulteri nescitis quia amicitia huius mundi, inimica est Dei? Quicumque ergo voluerit amicus esse saeculi huius, inimicus Dei constituitur.
Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? So whoever may want to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
5 An putatis quia inaniter Scriptura dicat: Ad invidiam concupiscit spiritus, qui habitat in vobis?
Or do you suppose that the Scripture says in vain that the Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously?
6 Maiorem autem dat gratiam. Propter quod dicit: Deus superbis resistit, humilibus autem dat gratiam.
But He gives greater grace; therefore He says: “God resists proud ones, but gives grace to humble ones.”
7 Subditi ergo estote Deo, resistite autem diabolo, et fugiet a vobis.
Therefore submit to God. Resist 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. Sinners, cleanse your hands! Double-minded, purify your hearts!
9 Miseri estote, et lugete, et plorate: risus vester in luctum convertatur, et gaudium in moerorem.
Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into dejection.
10 Humiliamini in conspectu Domini, et exaltabit vos.
Humble yourself before the Lord and He will exalt you.
11 Nolite detrahere alterutrum fratres mei. Qui detrahit fratri, aut qui iudicat fratrem suum, detrahit legi, et iudicat legem. Si autem iudicas legem: non es factor legis, sed iudex.
Brothers, do not speak evil of one another. Because the one speaking against a brother and judging his brother speaks against a law and judges a law. So if you judge a law you are not a law-doer but a judge.
12 Unus est enim legislator, et iudex, qui potest perdere, et liberare.
The Lawgiver and Judge is One, the one who is able to save and to destroy. So who are you (sg) to be judging someone who is different?
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:
Come now, you who say, “Today and tomorrow let us travel to that certain city, spend a year there, do business and make a profit;”
14 qui ignoratis quid erit in crastinum.
whereas you do not know anything about the morrow. For what is our life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time but then vanishes away.
15 Quae 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 ought to 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 now you boast in your arrogant pretensions. All such boasting is malignant.
17 Scienti igitur bonum facere, et non facienti, peccatum est illi.
Therefore, to the one knowing to do good and not doing it, to him it is sin.
