James 4
1 Wherof ben batelis and cheestis among you? Whether not of youre coueitisis, that fiyten in youre membris?
Whence come wars and whence come battles within you? are they not from thence, from your pleasures warring in your members?
2 Ye coueiten, and ye han not; ye sleen, and ye han enuye, and ye moun not gete. Ye chiden, and maken batel; and ye han not, for ye axen not.
You lust, and you have not: you murder, and you strive, and you are not able to obtain: you fight and you war; and have not, because you do not ask:
3 Ye axen, and ye resseyuen not; for that ye axen yuele, as ye schewen opynli in youre coueitisis.
you ask, and you receive not, because you ask wickedly, that you may expend it in your pleasures.
4 Auowtreris, witen not ye, that the frenschip of this world is enemye to God? Therfor who euere wole be frend of this world, is maad the enemye of God.
O adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity to God? Whosoever therefore may wish to be the friend of the world renders himself the enemy of God.
5 Whether ye gessen, that the scripture seith veynli, The spirit that dwellith in you, coueitith to enuye?
Whether do you think that the scripture says in vain, The spirit who dwells in us fights against envy?
6 But he yyueth the more grace; for which thing he seith, God withstondith proude men, but to meke men he yyueth grace.
and he gives more grace. Therefore he says, God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble.
7 Therfor be ye suget to God; but withstonde ye the deuel, and he schal fle fro you.
Therefore draw nigh unto God; and resist the devil, and he will flee from you:
8 Neiye ye to God, and he schal neiye to you. Ye synneris, clense ye hondis, and ye double in soule, purge ye the hertis.
draw nigh unto God, and he draws nigh unto you. Purify your hands, ye sinners; and cleanse your hearts, ye double-minded.
9 Be ye wretchis, and weile ye; youre leiyyng be turned in to weping, and ioye in to sorewe of herte.
Weep, and mourn, lament: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into sorrow.
10 Be ye mekid in the siyt of the Lord, and he schal enhaunse you.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will raise you up.
11 My britheren, nyle ye bacbite ech othere. He that bacbitith his brothir, ethir that demeth his brothir, bacbitith the lawe, and demeth the lawe. And if thou demest the lawe, thou art not a doere of the lawe, but a domesman.
Do not calumniate one another, brethren: the one speaking against his brother, and judging his brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law: if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 But oon is makere of the lawe, and iuge, that may lese, and delyuere.
There is one lawgiver and judge, who is able to save and to destroy: but who are you, the one judging your neighbor.
13 And who art thou, that demest thi neiybore? Lo! now ye, that seien, To dai ethir to morewe we schulen go in to thilke citee, and there we schulen dwelle a yeer, and we schulen make marchaundise, and we schulen make wynning;
Come now, ye who are saying, To-day or to-morrow we will go into that city, and abide there a year, and trade and accumulate:
14 whiche witen not, what is to you in the morewe.
whosoever do not know that which belongs to the morrow: for what is your life? For you are a vapor, appearing for a moment, and then vanishing away;
15 For what is youre lijf? A smoke apperinge at a litil, and aftirward it schal be wastid. Therfor that ye seie, If the Lord wole, and if we liuen, we schulen do this thing, ether that thing.
on the contrary you should say, If the Lord will, and we live, we will indeed do this, or that.
16 And now ye maken ful out ioye in youre pridis; euery siche ioye is wickyd.
But you are now boasting in your arrogances: all such boasting is wicked.
17 Therfor it is synne to hym, that kan do good, and doith not.
Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.
