James 4:1-12 ▼

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?

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.

3 You⁺ ask and do not receive, because you⁺ ask wrongly, that you⁺ may spend it in 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.

5 Or do you⁺ think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit that He made to dwell in us yearns with envy”?

6 But He gives greater grace. Therefore it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

7 Therefore subject yourselves to God. But 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.

9 Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your⁺ laughter be turned to mourning and the joy to gloom.

10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you⁺.

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.

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?