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James 4
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1Whence comewars and whence come fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your pleasures that war in your members?
1Where do the conflicts and fights among you come from? Don’t they come from the selfish desires that are constantly at war within you?
2Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not.
2You want things but don’t have them, so you kill. You are jealous and cannot get what you want, so you argue and fight. You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it.
3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleasures.
3And even when you do ask, you don't receive it because your motives are bad; you only want to spend it on your own pleasures.
4Ye 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.
4You unfaithful people! Don’t you know that being a friend of the world means being an enemy of God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world makes themselves an enemy of God.
5Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?
5Do you think the Scripture means nothing when it says that the spirit God placed in us is filled with strong desires?
6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore the scripture saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.
6But God gives us even more grace. That is why the Scripture says, 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'
7Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
7So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you.
8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.
8Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you who are double-minded.
9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
9Be miserable, mourn, and cry. Let your laughter turn into crying and your joy turn into sadness.
10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you.
10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
11Speak not one against another, brethren. He that speaketh against a brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
11Brothers and sisters, do not speak against one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister, or judges them, speaks against the law and judges the law. If you judge the law, you are not a follower of the law, but a judge of it.
12One only is the lawgiver and judge, even he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbor?
12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
13Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain:
13Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, stay there a year, do business, and make money.'
14whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
14You don't even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are like a mist that appears for a little while and then disappears.
15For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that.
15Instead, you should say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'