James 4

1 Whence wars and whence fightings among you? are they not from hence—due to your pleasures which are taking the field in your members?

Whence [come] wars and whence fightings among you? [Is it] not thence, — from your pleasures, which war in your members?

2 Ye covet—and have not, ye commit murder, and are jealous—and cannot obtain, —ye fight and war. Ye have not—because ye do not really ask,

Ye lust and have not: ye kill and are full of envy, and cannot obtain; ye fight and war; ye have not because ye ask not.

3 Ye ask and receive not, because that, basely, ye ask, in order that, in your pleasures, ye may spend [it].

Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask evilly, that ye may consume [it] in your pleasures.

4 Adulteresses! Know ye not that, the friendship of the world, is, enmity to God? Whosoever, therefore, is minded to be, a friend, of the world, an enemy of God, doth constitute himself.

Adulteresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore is minded to be [the] friend of the world is constituted enemy of God.

5 Or think ye that, in vain, the scripture speaketh? Is it, for envying, that the spirit which hath taken an abode within us doth crave?

Think ye that the scripture speaks in vain? Does the Spirit which has taken his abode in us desire enviously?

6 Howbeit he giveth, greater, favour. Wherefore it saith—God, against the haughty, arrayeth himself, Whereas, unto the lowly, he giveth favour.

But he gives more grace. Wherefore he says, God sets himself against [the] proud, but gives grace to [the] lowly.

7 Range yourselves, therefore, under God, but withstand the adversary, and he will flee from you:

Subject yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8 Draw near unto God, and he will draw near unto you. Cleanse hands, sinners! Chasten hearts, double souls!

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse [your] hands, sinners, and purify [your] hearts, ye double-minded.

9 Be miserable and lament and weep, let, your laughter, into lamentation, be turned, and, your joy, into dejection;

Be wretched, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and [your] joy to heaviness.

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

Humble yourselves before [the] Lord, and he shall exalt you.

11 Be not speaking one against another, brethren! He that speaketh against a brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against law, and judgeth law; Now, if, upon law, thou art passing judgment, thou art not a doer of law, but a judge!

Speak not against one another, brethren. He that speaks against [his] brother, or judges his brother, speaks against [the] law and judges [the] law. But if thou judgest [the] law, thou art not doer of [the] law, but judge.

12 One, is Lawgiver and Judge—He who hath power to save and to destroy; but who art, thou, that judgest thy neighbour?

One is the lawgiver and judge, who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou who judgest thy neighbour?

13 Come now! ye that say—Today or To-morrow, we will journey unto this city here, and will spend there a year, and will trade and get gain, —

Go to now, ye who say, To-day or to-morrow will we go into such a city and spend a year there, and traffic and make gain,

14 Men who are not versed in the morrow—of what sort your life [will be]; for ye are, a vapour—for a little, appearing, then, just disappearing!

ye who do not know what will be on the morrow, ([for] what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, appearing for a little while, and then disappearing, )

15 Instead of your saying—If, the Lord, be pleased, we shall both, live and do this or that;

instead of your saying, If the Lord should [so] will and we should live, we will also do this or that.

16 Whereas, now, are ye boasting in your pretensions: —All boasting like this, is, wicked,

But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil.

17 To him, therefore, who knoweth how to be doing, a right thing, and is not doing it, it is, sin, unto him.

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