James 4:1-17
4 From what source are there wars and from what source are there fights among YOU? Are they not from this source,+ namely, from YOUR cravings for sensual pleasure that carry on a conflict in YOUR members?+
2 YOU desire, and yet YOU do not have. YOU go on murdering+ and coveting,*+ and yet YOU are not able to obtain. YOU go on fighting+ and waging war. YOU do not have because of YOUR not asking.
3 YOU do ask, and yet YOU do not receive, because YOU are asking for a wrong purpose,+ that YOU may expend [it] upon YOUR cravings for sensual pleasure.+
4 Adulteresses,*+ do YOU not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God?+ Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend+ of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.+
5 Or does it seem to YOU that the scripture says to no purpose: “It is with a tendency to envy that the spirit+ which has taken up residence within us keeps longing”?
6 However, the undeserved kindness which he gives is greater.+ Hence it says: “God opposes the haughty ones,+ but he gives undeserved kindness to the humble ones.”+
7 Subject yourselves,+ therefore, to God; but oppose* the Devil,+ and he will flee from YOU.+
8 Draw close to God, and he will draw close to YOU.+ Cleanse YOUR hands, YOU sinners,+ and purify YOUR hearts,+ YOU indecisive*+ ones.
9 Give way to misery and mourn and weep.+ Let YOUR laughter be turned into mourning, and [YOUR] joy into dejection.+
10 Humble yourselves in the eyes of Jehovah,*+ and he will exalt YOU.+
11 Quit speaking against one another, brothers.+ He who speaks against a brother or judges+ his brother speaks against law and judges law. Now if you judge law, you are, not a doer of law, but a judge.+
12 One there is that is lawgiver and judge,+ he who is able to save and to destroy.+ But you, who are you to be judging [your] neighbor?+
13 Come, now, YOU who say: “Today or tomorrow we will journey to this city and will spend a year there, and we will engage in business and make profits,”+
14 whereas YOU do not know what YOUR life will be tomorrow.+ For YOU are a mist appearing for a little while and then disappearing.+
15 Instead, YOU ought to say: “If Jehovah* wills,+ we shall live and also do this or that.”+
16 But now YOU take pride in YOUR self-assuming brags.+ All such taking of pride is wicked.
17 Therefore, if one knows how to do what is right and yet does not do it,+ it is a sin+ for him.
Footnotes
^ Or, “and are jealous.”
^ “Adulteresses.” Lat., a·dulʹte·ri.
^ Lit., “stand you against.”
^ Lit., “two-souled.”
^ See App 1D.
^ See App 1D.
