Jakobsbrevet 4
1 Varav uppkomma strider, och varav tvister bland eder? Månne icke av de lustar som föra krig i eder lemmar?
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].
2 I ären fulla av begärelser, men haven dock intet; I dräpen och hysen avund, men kunnen dock intet vinna; och så tvisten och striden I. I haven intet, därför att I icke bedjen.
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].
3 Dock, I bedjen, men I fån intet, ty I bedjen illa, nämligen för att kunna i edra lustar förslösa vad I fån.
[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).
4 I trolösa avfällingar, veten I då icke att världens vänskap är Guds ovänskap? Den som vill vara världens vän, han bliver alltså Guds ovän.
[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.
5 Eller menen I att detta är ett tomt ord i skriften: "Med svartsjuk kärlek trängtar den Ande som han har låtit taga sin boning i oss"?
(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.
6 Men så mycket större är den nåd han giver; därför heter det: "Gud står emot de högmodiga, men de ödmjuka giver han nåd."
[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.”
7 Så varen nu Gud underdåniga, men stån emot djävulen, så skall han fly bort ifrån eder.
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.
8 Nalkens Gud, så skall han nalkas eder. Renen edra händer, I syndare, och gören edra hjärtan rena, I människor med delad håg.
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].
9 Kännen edert elände och sörjen och gråten. Edert löje vände sig i sorg och eder glädje i bedrövelse.
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].
10 Ödmjuken eder inför Herren, så skall han upphöja eder.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and [as a result] he will honor you.
11 Förtalen icke varandra, mina bröder. Den som förtalar en broder eller dömer sin broder, han förtalar lagen och dömer lagen. Men dömer du lagen, så är du icke en lagens görare, utan dess domare.
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].
12 En är lagstiftaren och domaren, han som kan frälsa och kan förgöra. Vem är då du som dömer din nästa?
[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]
13 Hören nu, I som sägen: "I dag eller i morgon vilja vi begiva oss till den och den staden, och där vilja vi uppehålla oss ett år och driva handel och skaffa oss vinning" --
[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!
14 I veten ju icke vad som kan ske i morgon. Ty vad är edert liv? En rök ären I, som synes en liten stund, men sedan försvinner.
[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.
15 I borden fastmera säga: "Om Herren vill, och vi får leva, skola vi göra det, eller det."
Instead of [what you are saying], you should say, “If the Lord wills/desires, we will live and do this or that.”
16 Men nu talen I stora ord i eder förmätenhet. All sådan stortalighet är ond.
But what you are doing is boasting about all the things that you arrogantly [plan to do]. Your boasting like that is evil.
17 Alltså, den som förstår att göra vad gott är, men icke gör det, för honom bliver detta till synd.
So if anyone knows the right thing that he should do, [but] he does not do it, he is sinning.
