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?

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,

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

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.

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?

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

7 Range yourselves, therefore, under God, but withstand the adversary, 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!

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

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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