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What accounts for pothen the quarrels polemos and kai disputes machē among en you hymeis? Is it not ou this enteuthen · ho your hymeis desires hēdonē that ho are at war in en · ho your hymeis members melos? You desire epithumeō and kai do not ou have echō; you murder phoneuō and kai envy zēloō and kai cannot ou dynamai obtain epitynchanō; you fight machomai and kai quarrel polemeō. You do not ou have echō because dia you hymeis do not ask aiteō. You ask aiteō and kai do not ou receive lambanō because dioti you ask aiteō for the wrong reason kakōs, that hina you can spend dapanaō it on en · ho your hymeis pleasures hēdonē.

You adulterous people moichalis! Do you not ou know oida that hoti · ho friendship philia with the ho world kosmos is eimi hostility echthra toward ho God theos? Therefore oun whoever hos ean desires boulomai to be eimi a friend philos of the ho world kosmos makes himself kathistēmi an enemy echthros of ho God theos. Or ē do you imagine dokeō that hoti scripture graphē has no meaning kenōs · ho when it says legō, “God yearns jealously pros phthonos over epipotheō the ho spirit pneuma that hos he has placed katoikizō in en us hēmeis”? But de he gives didōmi greater megas grace charis. That is why dio scripture says legō, · ho God theos opposes antitassō the proud hyperēphanos but de he gives didōmi grace charis to the humble tapeinos.” So oun submit hypotassō yourselves to ho God theos. Resist anthistēmi · de the ho devil diabolos and kai he will flee pheugō from apo you hymeis. Draw near engizō to ho God theos and kai he will draw near engizō to you hymeis. Cleanse katharizō your hands cheir, you sinners hamartōlos, and kai purify hagnizō your hearts kardia, you double-minded dipsychos. Be miserable talaipōreō and kai mourn pentheō and kai weep klaiō; let metatrepō · ho your hymeis laughter gelōs be turned metatrepō into eis mourning penthos and kai your ho joy chara into eis gloom katēpheia. 10 Humble yourselves tapeinoō in the presence enōpion of the Lord kyrios and kai he will lift hypsoō you hymeis up .

11 Do not speak against katalaleō one another allēlōn, my brothers adelphos. Whoever ho speaks against katalaleō a brother adelphos or ē judges krinō · ho his autos brother adelphos, speaks against katalaleō the law nomos and kai judges krinō the law nomos; but de if ei you judge krinō the law nomos, you are eimi not ou a doer poiētēs of the law nomos but alla a judge kritēs of it. 12 There is eimi only one heis who is the ho lawgiver nomothetēs and kai judge kritēs the ho one who is able dynamai to save sōzō and kai to destroy apollymi; so de who tis are eimi you sy · ho to be judging krinō your ho neighbor plēsion?

13 Come agō now nyn, you who ho say legō, “ Today sēmeron or ē tomorrow aurion we will go poreuō to eis some hode · ho city polis and kai spend poieō a year eniautos there ekei and kai engage in business emporeuomai and kai make a profit kerdainō.” 14 You hostis have no ou idea epistamai · ho what poios your hymeis life zōē will be like poios · ho tomorrow aurion. · ho For gar you are eimi but a mist atmis that ho appears phainō for pros a brief moment oligos and kai then epeita disappears aphanizō. 15 Instead anti, you hymeis ought to say legō, “ If ean the ho Lord kyrios so decrees thelō, then kai we will live zaō and kai do poieō this houtos or ē that ekeinos.” 16 But de as it is nyn, you are making arrogant alazoneia boasts kauchaomai; · ho all pas such toioutos boasting kauchēsis is eimi evil ponēros. 17 So oun the person who knows oida what is right kalos to do poieō and kai fails to do poieō it, for him autos it is eimi sin hamartia.

Submit Yourselves to God

What causes fights and quarrels(A) among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle(B) within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill.(C) You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive,(D) because you ask with wrong motives,(E) that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

You adulterous(F) people,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world(G) means enmity against God?(H) Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.(I) Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]?(J) But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”[c](K)

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,(L) and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.(M) Wash your hands,(N) you sinners, and purify your hearts,(O) you double-minded.(P) Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.(Q) 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.(R)

11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.(S) Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[d] or judges them(T) speaks against the law(U) and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it,(V) but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge,(W) the one who is able to save and destroy.(X) But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?(Y)

Boasting About Tomorrow

13 Now listen,(Z) you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”(AA) 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.(AB) 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will,(AC) we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.(AD) 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.(AE)

Footnotes

  1. James 4:4 An allusion to covenant unfaithfulness; see Hosea 3:1.
  2. James 4:5 Or that the spirit he caused to dwell in us envies intensely; or that the Spirit he caused to dwell in us longs jealously
  3. James 4:6 Prov. 3:34
  4. James 4:11 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family.