James 4
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1Where do those fights and quarrels among you come from? They come from your selfish desires that are at war in your bodies, don't they? 1What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don't they come from the cravings that are at war within you?
2You want something but do not get it, so you commit murder. You covet something but cannot obtain it, so you quarrel and fight. You do not get things because you do not ask for them! 2You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You do not have because you do not ask.
3You ask for something but do not get it because you ask for it for the wrong reason—for your own pleasure.3You ask and don't receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires.
4You adulterers! Don't you know that friendship with the world means hostility with God? So whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God. 4Adulteresses! Don't you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world's friend becomes God's enemy.
5Or do you think the Scripture means nothing when it says that the Spirit that God caused to live in us jealously yearns for us?5Or do you think it's without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously?
6But he gives all the more grace. And so he says, "God opposes the arrogant but gives grace to the humble." 6But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
7Therefore, submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. 7Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
8Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 8Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people!
9Be miserable, mourn, and cry. Let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into gloom. 9Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow.
10Humble yourselves in the Lord's presence, and he will exalt you.10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.
11Do not criticize each other, brothers. Whoever makes it his habit to criticize his brother or to judge his brother is judging the Law and condemning the Law. But if you condemn the Law, you are not a practicer of the Law but its judge. 11Don't criticize one another, brothers. He who criticizes a brother or judges his brother criticizes the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge—the one who can save and destroy. So who are you to judge your neighbor?12There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
13Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town, stay there a year, conduct business, and make money." 13Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit."
14You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 14You don't even know what tomorrow will bring--what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes.
15Instead you should say, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live—and do this or that." 15Instead, you should say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."
16But you boast about your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil.16But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
17Therefore, anyone who knows what is right but fails to do it is guilty of sin.17So it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn't do it.
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
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Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
James 3
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