James 4
1 Now I will tell you why you are fighting among yourselves and quarreling with each other [RHQ]. It is [RHQ] because each of you wants to do evil things [PRS]. You keep on wanting to do things that are not [what God wants you to do].
Vanwaar dan strijd en getwist onder u? Komt het niet voort uit uw lusten, die door uw ledematen aan het vechten slaan?
2 There are things that you [very much] desire to have, but you do not get [those things, so] you [want to] kill [HYP] [those who hinder you from getting them]. You desire what [other people have], but you are unable to get [what you desire, so] you quarrel and fight [with one another] [HYP]. You do not have [what you desire] because you do not ask [God for it].
Gij begeert, toch bezit gij niet; gij moordt en benijdt, toch verkrijgt gij niet. Gij blijft dus vechten en strijden! Gij bezit echter niet, omdat gij niet bidt;
3 [And even when] you do ask [him], he does not give you [what you ask for] because you are asking for the wrong reason. [You are asking for things] in order that you may use them just to (enjoy yourselves/make yourselves happy).
gij bidt en toch verkrijgt gij niet, omdat gij bidt met de boze bedoeling, door uw lusten te verbrassen wat gij verkrijgt.
4 [Like] a woman who is unfaithful to her husband, you [are being unfaithful to God and not obeying him any more] [MET]. Those who are behaving as evil people do [MTY] (OR, Those who love [the evil pleasures of] this world) are hostile toward God. Perhaps you do not realize that [RHQ]. So those who decide to act as evil people do [MTY] become enemies of God.
Overspelers, weet gij dan niet, dat vriendschap der wereld vijandschap is jegens God? Wie dus een vriend van de wereld wil zijn, maakt zich tot vijand van God.
5 (Surely you remember that [God told us in] the Scriptures that he eagerly desires that his Spirit, who lives in us, will help us to love [God] only!/Do you think that it is for no reason that [God told us in] the Scriptures that he strongly desires that his Spirit, who lives in us, will help us to love [God] only?) [RHQ] God has a reason for desiring that.
Of meent gij soms, dat de Schrift het voor niets zegt: "Tot afgunst toe begeert de Geest, dien Hij in ons deed wonen?"
6 [It is because] he is kind [to us and he] wants very much to help us. That is why (someone said/[King Solomon] wrote) [in the Scriptures], “God opposes those who are proud, but he helps those who are humble.”
Groter genade geeft Hij zelfs; daarom zegt ze: "God weerstaat de hovaardigen, maar aan de nederigen geeft Hij genade."
7 So submit yourselves to God. (Resist the devil/Refuse to do what the devil wants), and [as a result] he will run away from you.
Onderwerpt u dus nederig aan God, maar verzet u tegen den duivel, en hij zal voor u vluchten!
8 Come near [spiritually] to God, and [as a result] he will come near to you. You who are sinners, stop doing what is wrong, and do only what is good [SYN, MET]. You who cannot decide [whether you will] ([commit yourselves to God/obey God completely]), stop thinking wrong thoughts, and think only pure thoughts [MTY].
Treedt nader tot God, en Hij zal naderen tot u! Zondaars, reinigt uw handen; dubbelhartigen, zuivert uw harten!
9 Be sorrowful and weep/mourn [DOU] [because of the wrong things that you have done]. Do not laugh [DOU], ([enjoying only what you selfishly/enjoying only what you yourselves]) [desire]. Instead, be sad [because you have done what is wrong].
Beseft uw ellende, jammert en weent; uw lachen verkere in rouw, en uw vreugde in droefheid!
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and [as a result] he will honor you.
Vernedert u voor den Heer, en Hij zal u verheffen.
11 My fellow believers, stop saying evil things about one another, [because] those who say something evil about a fellow believer and [are therefore] condemning [one who is like] a brother [to them] are really speaking against the law [that God gave us to obey]. [In this law, God commanded] [MTY] [us to love others], and those who say evil things about fellow believers, [it is as though] they are saying that we do not have to do what [God] commanded. If you [(sg)] say that you do not have to do what God commanded, you [(sg)] are not obeying God’s law. Instead, you [(sg)] are claiming that you [have the authority] to condemn [others].
Broeders, spreekt geen kwaad van elkander! Wie kwaad spreekt van zijn broeder, of den broeder beoordeelt, spreekt kwaad van de wet en oordeelt de wet; maar zo ge haar oordeelt, zijt ge geen werker der wet, maar haar rechter.
12 [But in fact], there is only one who [has the authority to] tell [people] what is right to do and to condemn [them, and that is God]. He alone is able to save [people] or to destroy people. [So], (you [(sg)] certainly have no right to decide how God should punish other people./who are you to decide how God should punish other people?) [RHQ]
Wetgever en Rechter is Eén: Hij die redden kan en verderven. Maar wie zijt gij, dat ge den naaste beoordeelt?
13 [Some of you] are [arrogantly] saying, “Today or tomorrow we will go to a certain city. We will spend a year there and we will buy and sell things and earn a lot of money.” Now, you listen to me!
En nu gij daar, die zegt: "Vandaag of morgen zullen we heenreizen naar die of die stad; een jaar zullen we daar blijven, handel drijven en winst maken."
14 [You should not talk like that, because] you do not know what will happen tomorrow, and you do not know [how long] you will live! Your life [is short] [MET], [like] a mist that appears for a short time and then disappears.
Gij daar, die niet eens de dag van morgen kent! Wat is uw leven? Een damp immers zijt gij, die een stonde opkomt en dan weer verdwijnt.
15 Instead of [what you are saying], you should say, “If the Lord wills/desires, we will live and do this or that.”
Neen, gij moest zeggen: "Zo de Heer het wil, zullen we leven, en dit doen of dat!"
16 But what you are doing is boasting about all the things that you arrogantly [plan to do]. Your boasting like that is evil.
Maar nu bluft gij in uw verwaandheid; al dergelijk gebluf is verkeerd.
17 So if anyone knows the right thing that he should do, [but] he does not do it, he is sinning.
Nu dan, hij die weet, dat hij goed heeft te doen en het nalaat, doet zonde.
