James 4

1 Whence wars and fightings among you? Do they not come hence, even from your lusts, which war in your members?

2 You strongly desire, and have not; you kill, and are zealous, and can not obtain. You fight and war, but have not, because you ask not.

3 You ask, and do not receive, because you ask wickedly, that you may spend upon your lusts.

4 Adulterers, and adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity against God? Whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world, is counted an enemy of God.

5 Do you think that the scripture speaks in vain? And does the spirit, who dwells in us, strongly incline to envy?

6 But he gives greater favor. For it says, "God resists the proud, but gives favor to the humble."

7 Therefore, be subject 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, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you men of two minds.

9 Be exceedingly afflicted, and mourn, and weep; and let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into sadness.

10 Be humble in the presence of the Lord, and he will lift you up.

11 He who speaks against his brother, and condemns his brother, speaks against the law, and condemns the law. But if you condemn the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save, and to destroy. Who are you, that condemn another?

13 Come, now, you who say, To-day, or to-morrow, we will go to such a city, and will abide there one year, and traffic in merchandise, and get gain;

14 who do not know what shall be to-morrow. For what is your life? It is, indeed, a smoke, which appears for a little while, and then vanishes away.

15 Instead of which, you ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

16 But now you boast in your proud speeches: all such boasting is evil.

17 Wherefore, to him who know how to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.