James 4

1 Whence come wars and whence come battles within you? are they not from thence, from your pleasures warring in your members?

Where do conflicts and quarrels among you come from? Do they not come from your passions that war in your members?

2 You lust, and you have not: you murder, and you strive, and you are not able to obtain: you fight and you war; and have not, because you do not ask:

You lust, and do not have. You kill, covet, and cannot obtain. You fight and make war. You do not have, because you do not ask.

3 you ask, and you receive not, because you ask wickedly, that you may expend it in your pleasures.

You ask, and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures.

4 O adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity to God? Whosoever therefore may wish to be the friend of the world renders himself the enemy of God.

You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

5 Whether do you think that the scripture says in vain, The spirit who dwells in us fights against envy?

Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit which he made to dwell in us yearns jealously"?

6 and he gives more grace. Therefore he says, God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble.

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

7 Therefore draw nigh unto God; and resist the devil, and he will flee from you:

Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8 draw nigh unto God, and he draws nigh unto you. Purify your hands, ye sinners; and cleanse 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.

9 Weep, and mourn, lament: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into sorrow.

Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom.

10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will raise you up.

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.

11 Do not calumniate one another, brethren: the one speaking against his brother, and judging his brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law: if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.

Do not speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against 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, who is able to save and to destroy: but who are you, the one judging your neighbor.

Only one is the lawgiver and judge, who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

13 Come now, ye who are saying, To-day or to-morrow we will go into that city, and abide there a year, and trade and accumulate:

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow let us go into this city, and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit."

14 whosoever do not know that which belongs to the morrow: for what is your life? For you are a vapor, appearing for a moment, and then vanishing away;

Whereas you do not know what tomorrow will be like. What is your life? For you are a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

15 on the contrary you should say, If the Lord will, and we live, we will indeed do this, or that.

For you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that."

16 But you are now boasting in your arrogances: all such boasting is wicked.

But now you glory in your boasting. All such boasting is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.

To him therefore who knows to do good, and does not do it, to him it is sin.