James 4

1 From whence are wars and contentions among you? Are they not hence, from your concupiscences, which war in your members?

Where do the fights and quarrels you're having come from? Aren't they due to the sensual passions that are in conflict within you?

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 burn with desire, but don't get what you want. You kill for what you lust after, but don't get what you're looking for. You argue and you fight, but you don't get anything, because you don't pray for it.

3 You ask, and receive not; because you ask amiss: that you may consume it on your concupiscences.

You pray, but don't receive anything, because you ask with a wrong motive, wanting to spend what you'd receive on your selfish pleasures.

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.

You adulterous people! Don't you realize that friendship with the world is hatred towards God? Those who want to be friends of the world make themselves enemies 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 think Scripture doesn't mean what it says: that the spirit that he put in us is very jealous?

6 But he giveth greater grace. Wherefore he saith: God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

But God gives us even more grace, as Scripture says: “God is against those who are arrogant, but gives grace to those who are humble.”

7 Be subject therefore to God, but resist the devil, and he will fly from you.

So place yourself under God's direction. Confront the devil, and he will run away 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.

Come close to God and he will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Purify your way of thinking, you people with divided loyalties.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into sorrow.

Show some remorse, cry and weep! Turn your laughter into mourning, and your joy to sadness.

10 Be humbled in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Be humble before the Lord and he will lift you up.

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.

Friends, don't speak badly of one another. Anyone who criticizes a fellow-believer and condemns them, criticizes and condemns the law. If you condemn the law you're not someone who keeps the law, because you're sitting in judgment of it.

12 There is one lawgiver, and judge, that is able to destroy and to deliver.

There's only one lawgiver and judge—the one who can either save or destroy you—so who are you to judge your neighbor?

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 on now!—you people who say, “Either today or tomorrow we'll go to such-and-such a city, spend a year in business there, and make a profit.”

14 Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow.

You have no idea what will happen tomorrow! What's your life like? It's just a mist that appears for a little while, and then is gone.

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.

What you should say is, “If it's the Lord's will, we'll live like this and plan to do that.”

16 But now you rejoice in your arrogancies. All such rejoicing is wicked.

But right now you're caught up in your vain ideas. All this boasting is evil.

17 To him therefore who knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin.

For it is a sin if you know to do what's right but don't do it.