Iacobi 4

1 unde bella et lites in vobis nonne hinc ex concupiscentiis vestris quae militant in membris vestris

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].

2 concupiscitis et non habetis occiditis et zelatis et non potestis adipisci litigatis et belligeratis non habetis propter quod non postulatis

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].

3 petitis et non accipitis eo quod male petatis ut in concupiscentiis vestris insumatis

[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).

4 adulteri nescitis quia amicitia huius mundi inimica est Dei quicumque ergo voluerit amicus esse saeculi huius inimicus Dei constituitur

[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.

5 aut putatis quia inaniter scriptura dicat ad invidiam concupiscit Spiritus qui inhabitat in nobis

(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.

6 maiorem autem dat gratiam propter quod dicit Deus superbis resistit humilibus autem dat gratiam

[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.”

7 subditi igitur estote Deo resistite autem diabolo et fugiet a vobis

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.

8 adpropiate Domino et adpropinquabit vobis emundate manus peccatores et purificate corda duplices animo

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].

9 miseri estote et lugete et plorate risus vester in luctum convertatur et gaudium in maerorem

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].

10 humiliamini in conspectu Domini et exaltabit vos

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and [as a result] he will honor you.

11 nolite detrahere de alterutrum fratres qui detrahit fratri aut qui iudicat fratrem suum detrahit legi et iudicat legem si autem iudicas legem non es factor legis sed iudex

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].

12 unus est legislator et iudex qui potest perdere et liberare tu autem quis es qui iudicas proximum

[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]

13 ecce nunc qui dicitis hodie aut crastino ibimus in illam civitatem et faciemus quidem ibi annum et mercabimur et lucrum faciemus

[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!

14 qui ignoratis quid erit in crastinum quae enim est vita vestra vapor est ad modicum parens deinceps exterminatur

[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.

15 pro eo ut dicatis si Dominus voluerit et vixerimus faciemus hoc aut illud

Instead of [what you are saying], you should say, “If the Lord wills/desires, we will live and do this or that.”

16 nunc autem exultatis in superbiis vestris omnis exultatio talis maligna est

But what you are doing is boasting about all the things that you arrogantly [plan to do]. Your boasting like that is evil.

17 scienti igitur bonum facere et non facienti peccatum est illi

So if anyone knows the right thing that he should do, [but] he does not do it, he is sinning.