James 4

1 Whence is it, that there are among you fightings and broils? Is it not from the lusts, which war in your members?

Where do the fights and quarrels you're having come from? Aren't they due to the sensual passions that are in conflict within you?

2 Ye covet, and possess not; and ye kill, and envy, and effect nothing: and ye fight and make attacks; and ye have not, because ye ask not.

You burn with desire, but don't get what you want. You kill for what you lust after, but don't get what you're looking for. You argue and you fight, but you don't get anything, because you don't pray for it.

3 Ye ask, and receive not; because ye ask wickedly, that ye may pamper your lusts.

You pray, but don't receive anything, because you ask with a wrong motive, wanting to spend what you'd receive on your selfish pleasures.

4 Ye adulterers, know ye not, that the love of the world is hostility towards God? He therefore who chooseth to be a lover of this world, is the enemy of God.

You adulterous people! Don't you realize that friendship with the world is hatred towards God? Those who want to be friends of the world make themselves enemies of God.

5 Or think ye, that the scripture hath vainly said: The spirit dwelling in us lusteth with envy?

Do you think Scripture doesn't mean what it says: that the spirit that he put in us is very jealous?

6 But our Lord hath given us more grace. Therefore he said: The Lord humbleth the lofty, and giveth grace to the lowly.

But God gives us even more grace, as Scripture says: “God is against those who are arrogant, but gives grace to those who are humble.”

7 Subject yourselves therefore to God; and stand firm against Satan, and he will flee from you.

So place yourself under God's direction. Confront the devil, and he will run away from you.

8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners: sanctify your hearts, ye divided in mind.

Come close to God and he will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Purify your way of thinking, you people with divided loyalties.

9 Humble yourselves, and mourn: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into grief.

Show some remorse, cry and weep! Turn your laughter into mourning, and your joy to sadness.

10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Be humble before the Lord and he will lift you up.

11 Speak not against each other, my brethren; for he that speaketh against his brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law. And if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but its judge.

Friends, don't speak badly of one another. Anyone who criticizes a fellow-believer and condemns them, criticizes and condemns the law. If you condemn the law you're not someone who keeps the law, because you're sitting in judgment of it.

12 There is one Law-giver and Judge, who can make alive, and can destroy: but who art thou, that thou judgest thy neighbor?

There's only one lawgiver and judge—the one who can either save or destroy you—so who are you to judge your neighbor?

13 But what shall we say of those, who say: To-day or to-morrow we will go to such or such a city, and will abide there a year; and we will traffic, and get gain?

Come on now!—you people who say, “Either today or tomorrow we'll go to such-and-such a city, spend a year in business there, and make a profit.”

14 And they know not what will be to-morrow: for what is our life, but an exhalation that is seen a little while, and then vanisheth and is gone?

You have no idea what will happen tomorrow! What's your life like? It's just a mist that appears for a little while, and then is gone.

15 Whereas they should say: If the Lord please, and we live, we will do this or that.

What you should say is, “If it's the Lord's will, we'll live like this and plan to do that.”

16 They glory in their vaunting. All such glorying is evil.

But right now you're caught up in your vain ideas. All this boasting is evil.

17 He that knoweth the good, and doeth it not, to him is sin.

For it is a sin if you know to do what's right but don't do it.