A Warning against Pride

1Whence are wars, and whence are battles among you? Are they not hence, even of your pleasures that war in your members? 2Ye desire, and have not; ye kill, and envy, and cannot obtain; ye fight, and war; ye have not, because ye ask not. 3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it on your pleasures. 4Adulteresses! know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever, therefore, purposes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5Or do ye think that the Scripture says in vain, "The spirit that dwells in us has jealous longings?" 6But He giveth more grace Wherefore, the Scripture says, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble."

Drawing Near to God

7Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw nigh to God, and He wild draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. 9Be wretched, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness! 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

11Speak not one against another, brethren. He that speaks against a brother, or judges 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. 12One is Law-giver and Judge?He Who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you, that judge your neighbor?

Do Not Boast about Tomorrow

13Come now, ye who say, "To-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend one year there, and trade, and get gain," 14(ye who, indeed, know nothing of to-morrow! what is your life? for ye are a vapor that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away); 15instead of your saying, "If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that." 16But now ye are glorying in your boastings! all such glorying is evil. 17To him, therefore, who knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.