James 4

1 From whence [come] wars and fightings among you? [come they] not hence, [even] from your lusts that war in your members?

FROM whence come wars and conflicts among you? spring they not from hence, even from your passions, which war in your members?

2 Ye lust and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

Ye eagerly covet, yet have not: ye murder, and are envious, yet cannot obtain your object; ye wage war, but have not, because ye pray not.

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

Ye ask, and receive nothing, because ye ask vilely, in order to consume it on your sensual appetites.

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Ye adulterers and adultresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity against God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is set down an enemy to God.

5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

Think ye that the scripture saith without meaning, The spirit which dwelleth in you strongly urges to envy?

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

But he giveth mightier grace. Wherefore he saith, “God sets himself against the proud, but giveth grace to the lowly.”

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

Be in subjection then to God. Resist the devil, and he will fly 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 nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Make clean your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.

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

Be bitterly afflicted and lament, and let your tears run down; let your laughter be converted into mourning, and your joy into dejection.

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

Be humbled in the presence of God, so he will exalt you.

11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of [his] brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

Traduce not one another, brethren. He that traduceth his brother, and judgeth his brother, traduceth the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but as judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save, and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

There is one lawgiver, who can save or destroy: who art thou that judgest another man?

13 Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy, and sell, and get gain:

Come now, ye that talk, To-day or to-morrow we will go to such a town, and do business there during one year, and traffic, and make great profits:

14 Whereas ye know not what [will be] on the morrow: For what [is] your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

though ye know nothing of what shall be to-morrow. For what is your life? It is but a vapour which appeareth for a little while, and then vanishes away.

15 Instead of that ye [ought] to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Instead of your saying, If the Lord pleases, and we are alive, then we will do this or that thing.

16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

But now ye glory in your proud boastings: all such glorying is wicked.

17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin.

Therefore if a man knoweth how to act properly, and doth not, he is criminal.