A Warning against Pride

1Whence come wars and whence come battles within you? are they not from thence, from your pleasures warring in your members? 2You lust, and you have not: you murder, and you strive, and you are not able to obtain: you fight and you war; and have not, because you do not ask: 3you ask, and you receive not, because you ask wickedly, that you may expend it in your pleasures. 4O adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity to God? Whosoever therefore may wish to be the friend of the world renders himself the enemy of God. 5Whether do you think that the scripture says in vain, The spirit who dwells in us fights against envy? 6and he gives more grace. Therefore he says, God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble.

Drawing Near to God

7Therefore draw nigh unto God; and resist the devil, and he will flee from you: 8draw nigh unto God, and he draws nigh unto you. Purify your hands, ye sinners; and cleanse your hearts, ye double-minded. 9Weep, and mourn, lament: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into sorrow. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will raise you up.

11Do not calumniate one another, brethren: the one speaking against his brother, and judging his brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law: if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12There is one lawgiver and judge, who is able to save and to destroy: but who are you, the one judging your neighbor.

Do Not Boast about Tomorrow

13Come now, ye who are saying, To-day or to-morrow we will go into that city, and abide there a year, and trade and accumulate: 14whosoever do not know that which belongs to the morrow: for what is your life? For you are a vapor, appearing for a moment, and then vanishing away; 15on the contrary you should say, If the Lord will, and we live, we will indeed do this, or that. 16But you are now boasting in your arrogances: all such boasting is wicked. 17Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.