James 4 Parallel Bible Translations

James 4 ▼
swipe to see more →
BLB
Berean Literal Bible
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
+Add
1 From where are battles and from where are fights among you⁺? Is it not from there, out of your⁺ pleasures warring in your⁺ members? What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?
2 You⁺ desire, and you⁺ do not have. You⁺ murder and are jealous, and you⁺ are not able to obtain. You⁺ fight and battle. You⁺ do not have, because you⁺ do not ask. You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You 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.
3 You⁺ ask and do not receive, because you⁺ ask wrongly, that you⁺ may spend it in your⁺ pleasures. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4 Adulteresses! Do you⁺ not know that friendship of the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever should wish to be a friend of the world is appointed an enemy of God. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. You 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.
5 Or do you⁺ think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit that He made to dwell in us yearns with envy”? Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?
6 But He gives greater grace. Therefore it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
7 Therefore subject yourselves to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you⁺. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you⁺. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify hearts, you double-souled. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your⁺ laughter be turned to mourning and the joy to gloom. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you⁺. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
11 Do not speak against one another, brothers. The one speaking against a brother or judging his brother speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge. Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. Brothers 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.
12 One is the Lawgiver and Judge, the One being able to save and to destroy. But who are you, the one judging the neighbor? There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
13 Come now, those saying, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this city, and will spend a year there and will trade and make gain,” Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— Now 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.”
14 who do not know what is of tomorrow. What is your⁺ life? For it is a vapor appearing for a little while and then vanishing. yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Why, 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.
15 Instead, you⁺ ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, both we will live and we will do this or that.” Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
16 But now you⁺ boast in your⁺ arrogance. All such boasting is evil. As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.
17 Therefore to the one knowing to do good, and not doing it, to him it is sin. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
Previous chapter
Top of Page
Top of Page