James 4
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New International VersionHolman Christian Standard Bible
1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?1What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don't they come from the cravings that are at war within you?
2You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.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.
3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.3You ask and don't receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires.
4You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes 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 Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?5Or do you think it's without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously?
6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble."6But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.7Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash 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!
9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.9Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow.
10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.
11Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.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 is able to save and destroy. But you--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 this or that city, spend a year there, carry on 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."
14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. 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 ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."15Instead, you should say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."
16As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.16But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
17If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.17So it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn't do it.
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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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