James 4

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

FROM whence come wars and conflicts among you? spring they not from hence, even from 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.

Ye eagerly covet, yet have not: ye murder, and are envious, yet cannot obtain your object; ye wage war, but have not, because ye pray not.

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

Ye ask, and receive nothing, because ye ask vilely, in order to consume it on your sensual appetites.

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.

Ye adulterers and adultresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity against God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is set down an enemy to God.

5 Or do you think that the scripture saith in vain: To envy doth the spirit covet which dwelleth in you?

Think ye that the scripture saith without meaning, The spirit which dwelleth in you strongly urges to envy?

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

But he giveth mightier grace. Wherefore he saith, “God sets himself against the proud, but giveth grace to the lowly.”

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

Be in subjection then to God. Resist the devil, and he will fly 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 nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Make clean your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.

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

Be bitterly afflicted and lament, and let your tears run down; let your laughter be converted into mourning, and your joy into dejection.

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

Be humbled in the presence of God, so 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.

Traduce not one another, brethren. He that traduceth his brother, and judgeth his brother, traduceth the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but as judge.

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

There is one lawgiver, who can save or destroy: who art thou that judgest another man?

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, ye that talk, To-day or to-morrow we will go to such a town, and do business there during one year, and traffic, and make great profits:

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

though ye know nothing of what shall be to-morrow. For what is your life? It is but a vapour which appeareth 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 your saying, If the Lord pleases, and we are alive, then we will do this or that thing.

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

But now ye glory in your proud boastings: all such glorying is wicked.

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

Therefore if a man knoweth how to act properly, and doth not, he is criminal.