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Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleasures. Ye [a]adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God. Or think ye that the scripture [b]speaketh in vain? [c]Doth the spirit which [d]he made to dwell in us long unto envying?

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Footnotes

  1. James 4:4 That is, who break your marriage vow to God.
  2. James 4:5 Or, saith in vain,
  3. James 4:5 Or, The Spirit which he made to dwell in us he yearneth for even unto jealous envy. Compare Jer. 3:14; Hos. 2:19f. Or, That Spirit which he made to dwell in us yearneth for us even unto jealous envy.
  4. James 4:5 Some ancient authorities read dwelleth in us.

When you ask, you do not receive,(A) because you ask with wrong motives,(B) that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

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

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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