James 4

1 Whence are wars and whence are fightings among you? Are they not hence, from your lusts that war 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 Ye lust, and have not; ye kill, and earnestly covet, and cannot obtain; ye fight and war. Ye have not, because ye ask not;

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 ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

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

4 Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore chooseth to be a friend of the world, becometh an 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 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, “Zealously doth the Spirit, which made its abode in us, long for us”?

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

6 but he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.”

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

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God; 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 to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify 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 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into heaviness.

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

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

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

11 Speak not against one another, brethren; he that speaketh against his brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law; but if thou judge the law, thou art 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 One is the Lawgiver and Judge, he who is able to save, and to destroy; but who art thou, that judgest thy 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 that say, To-day and to-morrow we will go into such a city, and spend a year there and traffic, and get gain,

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 (whereas ye know not what will be on the morrow; for what is your life? Ye are even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth 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 instead of saying, If the Lord will, we shall both live and do this or that;

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

16 but now ye glory in your boastings. All such glorying is evil.

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

17 Therefore to him that knoweth how to do good, and doeth 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.