Montgomery - James - 4

4:1  Where do the conflicts and quarrels that go on among you come from? Do they not come from your passions which are always making war among your bodily members?

4:2  You continually crave and do not obtain; you are killing and coveting and cannot acquire; you are fighting and at war. You do not have, because you do not ask.

4:3  You continue to ask and do not receive, because you are asking with a wrong purpose, in order to spend it upon your pleasures.

4:4  You adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity to God? Whoever, then, desires to be a friend of the world, makes himself and enemy of God.

4:5  Or do you suppose that it is in vain that the Scripture says, "The spirit which has its home in us yearns over us unto jealousy?"

4:6  But he gives more and more grace. therefore it is said, God ever resists the proud; but to the humble he gives grace continually.

4:7  So then ever be subject to God, Ever resist the devil and he will flee from you.

4:8  Draw near to God And he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, And purify your hearts, you double-minded.

4:9  Lament and mourn, and weep aloud! Let your laughter be turned into mourning, And your joy into gloom!

4:10  Humble yourselves before the Lord, And he will raise you up.

4:11  Do not be talking against each other, brothers. He who is talking against a brother and condemning his brothers is talking against the Law and condemning the Law. But if you are condemning the Law, you are not a doer of the Law, but a judge.

4:12  But One is your Lawgiver and Judge - he who is able to save and to destroy. But you, who are you, to be condemning your neighbor?

4:13  Go to now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we shall journey to such a city and spend a year there, and trade and make money,"

4:14  when all the time you do not know what will happen on the morrow. For what is your life? You are but a mist, appearing for a brief time, and then vanishing.

4:15  You ought instead to say, "If the Lord wills it, we shall live and do this or that."

4:16  But now you are glorying in these insolent boastings of yours; all such glorying is evil.

4:17  So to him who knows how to do right and does not do it, to him it is sin.