James 4

1 From where [are] wars and fightings among you? [Is it] not from here, out of your passions warring in your members?

Where do the conflicts and quarrels that go on among you come from? Do they not come from your passions which are always making war among your bodily members?

2 You desire, and do not have, [so] you murder; and you are zealous, and are not able to attain, [so] you fight and war; and you do not have, because of your not asking;

You continually crave and do not obtain; you are killing and coveting and cannot acquire; you are fighting and at war. You do not have, because you do not ask.

3 you ask, and you do not receive, because you ask badly, that you may spend [it] in your pleasures.

You continue to ask and do not receive, because you are asking with a wrong purpose, in order to spend it upon your pleasures.

4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Have you not known that friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whoever, then, may intend to be a friend of the world, he is designated [as] an enemy of God.

You adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity to God? Whoever, then, desires to be a friend of the world, makes himself and enemy of God.

5 Or, do you think that the Writing says emptily, “The Spirit that has dwelt in us yearns with envy,”

Or do you suppose that it is in vain that the Scripture says, "The spirit which has its home in us yearns over us unto jealousy?"

6 but [God] gives greater grace, for this reason it says, “God sets Himself up against proud ones, and He gives grace to lowly ones.”

But he gives more and more grace. therefore it is said, God ever resists the proud; but to the humble he gives grace continually.

7 Be subject, then, to God; stand up against the Devil, and he will flee from you;

So then ever be subject to God, Ever resist the devil and he will flee from you.

8 draw near to God, and He will draw near to you; cleanse hands, you sinners! And purify hearts, you split-souled!

Draw near to God And he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, And purify your hearts, you double-minded.

9 Be exceedingly afflicted, and mourn, and weep, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and the joy to heaviness;

Lament and mourn, and weep aloud! Let your laughter be turned into mourning, And your joy into gloom!

10 be made low before the LORD, and He will exalt you.

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

11 Do not speak against one another, brothers; he who is speaking against a brother, and is judging his brother, speaks against law, and judges law, and if you judge law, you are not a doer of law but a judge.

Do not be talking against each other, brothers. He who is talking against a brother and condemning his brothers is talking against the Law and condemning the Law. But if you are condemning the Law, you are not a doer of the Law, but a judge.

12 One is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy; you—who are you that judges the other?

But One is your Lawgiver and Judge - he who is able to save and to destroy. But you, who are you, to be condemning your neighbor?

13 Go, now, you who are saying, “Today and tomorrow we will go on to such a city, and will pass there one year, and traffic, and make gain,”

Go to now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we shall journey to such a city and spend a year there, and trade and make money,"

14 who does not know the thing of tomorrow; for what is your life? For it is a vapor that is appearing for a little [while], and then is vanishing;

when all the time you do not know what will happen on the morrow. For what is your life? You are but a mist, appearing for a brief time, and then vanishing.

15 instead, you [ought] to say, “If the LORD may will, we will live, and do this or that”;

You ought instead to say, "If the Lord wills it, we shall live and do this or that."

16 but now you glory in your pride; all such glorying is evil;

But now you are glorying in these insolent boastings of yours; all such glorying is evil.

17 to him, then, knowing to do good, and not doing [it], it is sin to him.

So to him who knows how to do right and does not do it, to him it is sin.