1What is the cause of quarrels and fightings among you? Is it not mainly from your own lusts that are warring within your members? 2You lust, and have not; you kill, and are jealous, and are not able to obtain; you fight and quarrel, but still you do not have, because you do not ask. 3Then you ask, and you do not receive, because you ask with evil motives, that you may consume it on your own lusts. 4You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever desires to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5Or do you think that the scripture says in vain, "The spirit that dwells in us lusts with envy"? 6But He gives greater grace. This is the reason it says, "God sets Himself against the proud, but He gives grace to the humble."

7Therefore, submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double- minded! 9Be grieved and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into grieving, and your joy into mourning. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

11Brethren, do not talk against one another. The one who talks against a brother, and judges his brother, is speaking against the law, and is judging the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law; rather, you are a judge. 12But there is only one Lawgiver, Who has power to save and to destroy. Who are you that you presume to judge another?

13Now listen, those of you who say, "Today and tomorrow we will go into such a city, and we will spend a year, and we will conduct business and make a profit." 14You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little while, and then disappears. 15Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live, and we will do this or that." 16But now you boast in your own arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17Therefore, if anyone knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.