James 4

¹From whence are wars and contentions among you? Are they not hence, from your concupiscences, which war in your members?

²You covet, and have not: you kill and envy and cannot obtain. You contend and war, and you have not: because you ask not.

³You ask and receive not: because you ask amiss, that you may consume it on your concupiscences.

⁴Adulterers, know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world becometh an enemy of God.

⁵Or do you think that the scripture saith in vain: To envy doth the spirit covet which dwelleth in you?

⁶But he giveth greater grace. Wherefore he saith: God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble.

⁷Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil: and he will fly from you.

⁸Draw nigh to God: and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

⁹Be afflicted and mourn and weep: let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into sorrow.

¹⁰Be humbled in the sight of the Lord: and he will exalt you.

¹¹Detract not one another, my brethren. He that detracteth his brother, or he that judgeth his brother, detracteth the law and judgeth the law. But if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

¹²There is one lawgiver and judge, that is able to destroy and to deliver.

¹³But who art thou that judgest thy neighbour? Behold, now you that say: To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and there we will spend a year and will traffic and make our gain.

¹⁴Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow.

¹⁵For what is your life? It is a vapour which appeareth for a little while and afterwards shall vanish away. For that you should say: If the Lord will, and, If we shall live, we will do this or that.

¹⁶But now you rejoice in your arrogancies. All such rejoicing is wicked.

¹⁷To him therefore who knoweth to do good and doth it not, to him it is sin.

James 4

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

²Ye 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.

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

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

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

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

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

⁸Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

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

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

¹¹Speak 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 judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

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

¹³Go to 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:

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

¹⁵For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

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

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