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 strifes among you? Come they not hence, even of your passions, which 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.
You desire, and you have not; you kill, and are earnestly desirous of having, and yet you can not obtain; you fight and war, and yet you have not, because you ask not.
3 You ask, and receive not; because you ask amiss: that you may consume it on your concupiscences.
You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your passions.
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.
Adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God? Whoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world, is 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?
Do you suppose that the scripture speaks to no purpose? Does the Spirit that dwells in us incline to envy? No.
6 But he giveth greater grace. Wherefore he saith: God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
But he gives more grace. Wherefore he says: God sets himself against the proud, but gives grace to the lowly.
7 Be subject therefore to God, but resist the devil, and he will fly from you.
Submit yourselves, therefore, to God; 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 near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded men.
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 sorrow.
10 Be humbled in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will 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.
Do not speak evil one of another, brethren. He that speaks evil of his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law, and judges the law: but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 There is one lawgiver, and judge, that is able to destroy and to deliver.
There is one law-giver that is able to save, and to destroy: who are you that judge another?
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, you that say, Let us go to-day, or to-morrow, into this city, and remain there a year, and trade, and make gain;
14 Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow.
and yet you know not what will take place to-morrow. For what is your life? Is it not, indeed, a vapor, that appears for a little while, and then vanishes 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.
Instead of that, you ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
16 But now you rejoice in your arrogancies. All such rejoicing is wicked.
But now you glory in your boastings: all such glorying is evil.
17 To him therefore who knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin.
Therefore, to him that knows how to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.
