James 4
Obey God
1 Why do you fight and argue among yourselves? Isn't it because of your sinful longings? They fight inside you.
2 You want something, but you can't get it. You kill and want what others have. But you can't have what you want. You argue and fight. You don't have what you want, because you don't ask God.3 When you do ask for something, you don't receive it. Why? Because you ask for the wrong reason. You want to spend your money on your sinful pleasures.
4 You are not faithful to God. Don't you know that to be a friend of the world is to hate God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.5 Don't you know what Scripture says? The spirit that God caused to live in us wants us to belong only to God. Don't you think Scripture has a reason for saying that?
6 God continues to give us more grace. That's why Scripture says,
"God opposes those who are proud.
But he gives grace to those who are not." (Proverbs 3:34)
7 So obey God. Stand up to the devil. He will run away from you.8 Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Make your hearts pure, you who can't make up your minds.
9 Be full of sorrow. Cry and sob. Change your laughter to crying. Change your joy to sadness.10 Bow down to the Lord. He will lift you up.
11 My brothers and sisters, don't speak against one another. Anyone who speaks against another believer speaks against the law. And anyone who judges another believer judges the law. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it. Instead, you are acting as if you were its judge.
12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge. He is the One who is able to save life or destroy it. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
Bragging About Tomorrow
13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city. We will spend a year there. We will buy and sell and make money."14 You don't even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? It is a mist that appears for a little while. Then it disappears.15 Instead, you should say, "If it pleases the Lord, we will live and do this or that."
16 As it is, you are proud. You brag about it. That kind of bragging is evil.17 So when you know the good things you should do and don't do them, you sin.
James 4
1 Whence come wars and whence come fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your pleasures that war in your members?2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not.3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleasures.4 Ye 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.5 Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore the scripture saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.7 Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you.8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you.11 Speak 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.12 One only is the lawgiver and judge, even he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbor?13 Come 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:14 whereas 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.15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that.16 But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil.17 To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.