Things to Avoid

[a]What is the source of quarrels and (A)conflicts among you? [b]Is the source not your pleasures that wage (B)war in [c]your body’s parts? You lust and do not have, so you (C)commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and (D)do not receive, because you ask [d]with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request [e]on your pleasures. You (E)adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with (F)the world is (G)hostility toward God? (H)Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture (I)says to no purpose, “[f]He [g]jealously desires (J)the Spirit whom He has made to dwell in us”? But (K)He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “(L)God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (M)Submit therefore to God. But [h](N)resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (O)Come close to God and He will come close to you. (P)Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and (Q)purify your hearts, you (R)[i]double-minded. (S)Be miserable, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into gloom. 10 (T)Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

11 (U)Do not speak against one another, (V)brothers and sisters. The one who speaks against a brother or sister, or (W)judges his brother or sister, speaks against (X)the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not (Y)a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12 There is only one (Z)Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is (AA)able to save and to destroy; but (AB)who are you, [j]judging your neighbor?

13 (AC)Come now, you who say, “(AD)Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 [k]Yet you do not know [l]what your life will be like tomorrow. (AE)For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. 15 [m]Instead, you ought to say, “(AF)If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your [n]arrogance; (AG)all such boasting is evil. 17 So (AH)for one who knows the [o]right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.

Footnotes

  1. James 4:1 Lit From where wars and from where fightings
  2. James 4:1 Lit Are they not from here, from your
  3. James 4:1 Lit your parts
  4. James 4:3 Lit wrongly
  5. James 4:3 Lit in
  6. James 4:5 Or The spirit which He has made to dwell in us lusts with envy
  7. James 4:5 Lit desires to jealousy
  8. James 4:7 Or oppose
  9. James 4:8 I.e., chronic doubters
  10. James 4:12 Lit the one judging
  11. James 4:14 Lit Who do not
  12. James 4:14 Or what will happen tomorrow. What kind of life is yours?
  13. James 4:15 Lit Instead of your saying
  14. James 4:16 Or pretensions
  15. James 4:17 Or good

Submit Yourselves to God

What causes fights and quarrels(A) among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle(B) within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill.(C) You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive,(D) because you ask with wrong motives,(E) that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

You adulterous(F) people,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world(G) means enmity against God?(H) Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.(I) Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]?(J) But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”[c](K)

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,(L) and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.(M) Wash your hands,(N) you sinners, and purify your hearts,(O) you double-minded.(P) Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.(Q) 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.(R)

11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.(S) Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[d] or judges them(T) speaks against the law(U) and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it,(V) but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge,(W) the one who is able to save and destroy.(X) But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?(Y)

Boasting About Tomorrow

13 Now listen,(Z) you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”(AA) 14 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.(AB) 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will,(AC) we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.(AD) 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.(AE)

Footnotes

  1. James 4:4 An allusion to covenant unfaithfulness; see Hosea 3:1.
  2. James 4:5 Or that the spirit he caused to dwell in us envies intensely; or that the Spirit he caused to dwell in us longs jealously
  3. James 4:6 Prov. 3:34
  4. James 4:11 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family.

Admiration by the Groom

[a]How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
[b](A)Prince’s daughter!
The curves of your hips are like jewels,
The work of the hands of an artist.
Your navel is like a round goblet
That never lacks mixed wine;
Your belly is like a heap of wheat,
[c]Surrounded with lilies.
Your (B)two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle.
Your (C)neck is like a tower of ivory,
Your eyes like the pools in (D)Heshbon
By the gate of Bath-rabbim;
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon,
Which looks toward Damascus.
Your head [d]crowns you like (E)Carmel,
And the flowing hair of your head is like purple threads;
The king is captivated by your tresses.
How (F)beautiful and how delightful you are,
[e]My love, with all your delights!
[f]Your stature is like a palm tree,
And your breasts are like its clusters.
I said, ‘I will climb the palm tree,
I will grasp its fruit stalks.’
Oh, may your breasts be like clusters of the vine,
And the fragrance of your [g]breath like (G)apples,
And your [h](H)mouth like the best wine!”

The Bride

“It (I)goes down smoothly for my beloved,
Flowing gently through the lips of those who are asleep.

The Union of Love

10 (J)I am my beloved’s,
And his (K)desire is for me.
11 Come, my beloved, let’s go out to the [i]country,
Let’s spend the night in the villages.
12 Let’s rise early and go to the vineyards;
Let’s (L)see whether the vine has grown
And its buds have opened,
And whether the pomegranates have bloomed.
There I will give you my love.
13 The (M)mandrakes have given forth fragrance;
And over our doors are all (N)delicious fruits,
New as well as old,
Which I have saved for you, my beloved.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 7:1 Ch 7:2 in Heb
  2. Song of Solomon 7:1 Or Nobleman’s
  3. Song of Solomon 7:2 Lit Fenced around
  4. Song of Solomon 7:5 Lit is upon
  5. Song of Solomon 7:6 Or With love among your charms
  6. Song of Solomon 7:7 Lit This stature of yours
  7. Song of Solomon 7:8 Lit nose
  8. Song of Solomon 7:9 Lit palate
  9. Song of Solomon 7:11 Lit field

[a]How beautiful your sandaled feet,
    O prince’s(A) daughter!
Your graceful legs are like jewels,
    the work of an artist’s hands.
Your navel is a rounded goblet
    that never lacks blended wine.
Your waist is a mound of wheat
    encircled by lilies.
Your breasts(B) are like two fawns,
    like twin fawns of a gazelle.
Your neck is like an ivory tower.(C)
Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon(D)
    by the gate of Bath Rabbim.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon(E)
    looking toward Damascus.
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.(F)
    Your hair is like royal tapestry;
    the king is held captive by its tresses.
How beautiful(G) you are and how pleasing,
    my love, with your delights!(H)
Your stature is like that of the palm,
    and your breasts(I) like clusters of fruit.
I said, “I will climb the palm tree;
    I will take hold of its fruit.”
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine,
    the fragrance of your breath like apples,(J)
    and your mouth like the best wine.

She

May the wine go straight to my beloved,(K)
    flowing gently over lips and teeth.[b]
10 I belong to my beloved,
    and his desire(L) is for me.(M)
11 Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside,
    let us spend the night in the villages.[c]
12 Let us go early to the vineyards(N)
    to see if the vines have budded,(O)
if their blossoms(P) have opened,
    and if the pomegranates(Q) are in bloom(R)
    there I will give you my love.
13 The mandrakes(S) send out their fragrance,
    and at our door is every delicacy,
both new and old,
    that I have stored up for you, my beloved.(T)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 7:1 In Hebrew texts 7:1-13 is numbered 7:2-14.
  2. Song of Songs 7:9 Septuagint, Aquila, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew lips of sleepers
  3. Song of Songs 7:11 Or the henna bushes

The Vision of Slaughter

Then He cried out in my [a]presence with a loud (A)voice, saying, “Come forward, you [b]executioners of the city, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand.” And behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each with his smashing weapon in his hand; and among them was (B)one man clothed in linen with a scribe’s kit at his waist. And they came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

Then the (C)glory of the God of Israel ascended from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the [c]temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose waist was the scribe’s kit. And the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and make a (D)mark on the foreheads of the people who (E)groan and sigh over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.” But to the others He said in my [d]presence, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. [e]Utterly (F)kill old men, young men, female virgins, little children, and women, but do not (G)touch any person on whom is the mark; and you shall (H)start from My sanctuary.” So they started with the [f]elders who were before the [g]temple. He also said to them, “(I)Defile the [h]temple and fill the courtyards with the dead. Go out!” So they went out and struck and killed the people in the city. And as they were striking the people and I alone was left, I (J)fell on my face and cried out, [i]saying, “(K)Oh, Lord [j]God! Are You going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel [k]by pouring out Your wrath on Jerusalem?”

Then He said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is (L)filled with blood, and the city is (M)full of perversion; for (N)they say, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land, and the Lord does not see!’ 10 But as for Me, (O)My eye will have no pity nor will I spare, but (P)I will bring their conduct upon their heads.”

11 Then behold, the man clothed in linen, at whose waist was the scribe’s kit, [l]reported, saying, “I have done just as You have commanded me.”

Vision of God’s Glory Departing from the Temple

10 Then I looked, and behold, in the [m](Q)expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim something like a (R)sapphire stone, in appearance resembling a (S)throne, appeared above them. And He spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, “Enter between the (T)whirling wheels under the [n]cherubim and fill your hands with (U)coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” And he entered in my sight.

Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the [o]temple when the man entered, and the cloud filled the (V)inner courtyard. Then the (W)glory of the Lord went up from the cherub to the threshold of the temple, and the (X)temple was filled with the cloud, and the courtyard was filled with the (Y)brightness of the glory of the Lord. Moreover, the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer courtyard, like the (Z)voice of [p]God Almighty when He speaks.

And it came about when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim,” he entered and stood beside a wheel. Then the cherub reached out with his hand from between the cherubim to the fire which was between the cherubim, took some coals and put them into the hands of the one clothed in linen; and he took them and went out. The cherubim appeared to have something like a human hand under their wings.

Then I looked, and behold, (AA)four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like the gleam of a [q](AB)Tarshish stone. 10 And as for their appearance, all four of them had the same likeness, as if one wheel were within another wheel. 11 When they moved, they went (AC)in any of their four [r]directions without turning as they went; but they followed in the direction which [s]they faced, without turning as they went. 12 And their (AD)whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings and the (AE)wheels were [t]covered with eyes all around, the wheels belonging to all four of them. 13 The wheels were called, [u]as I heard, the [v]whirling wheels. 14 And (AF)each one had four faces. The first face was the face of a cherub, the second face was the face of a human, the third, the face of a lion, and the fourth, the face of an eagle.

15 Then the cherubim rose up. They are the (AG)living beings that I saw by the river Chebar. 16 Now when the cherubim moved, the wheels would move beside them; also when the cherubim lifted up their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels themselves would not turn away from beside them. 17 When [w]the cherubim (AH)stood still, [x]the wheels would stand still; and when they rose up, [y]the wheels would rise with them, because the spirit of the living beings was in them.

18 Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood (AI)over the cherubim. 19 When (AJ)the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the ground in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of the Lords house, and the glory of the God of Israel [z]hovered over them.

20 These are the (AK)living beings that I saw beneath the God of Israel by (AL)the river Chebar; so I knew that they were cherubim. 21 (AM)Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and beneath their wings was the form of human hands. 22 As for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the river Chebar. Each one went straight ahead.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 9:1 Lit ears
  2. Ezekiel 9:1 Lit punishers
  3. Ezekiel 9:3 Lit house
  4. Ezekiel 9:5 Lit ears
  5. Ezekiel 9:6 Lit To destruction
  6. Ezekiel 9:6 Or old men
  7. Ezekiel 9:6 Lit house
  8. Ezekiel 9:7 Lit house
  9. Ezekiel 9:8 Lit and said
  10. Ezekiel 9:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  11. Ezekiel 9:8 Lit by Your pouring
  12. Ezekiel 9:11 Lit brought back word
  13. Ezekiel 10:1 Or firmament; i.e., atmosphere and space
  14. Ezekiel 10:2 As in LXX; MT cherub
  15. Ezekiel 10:3 Lit house, and so throughout the ch
  16. Ezekiel 10:5 Heb El Shaddai
  17. Ezekiel 10:9 Perhaps topaz
  18. Ezekiel 10:11 Lit sides
  19. Ezekiel 10:11 Lit the head turned
  20. Ezekiel 10:12 Lit full of
  21. Ezekiel 10:13 Lit in my ears
  22. Ezekiel 10:13 Heb galgal
  23. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit they
  24. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit they
  25. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit they
  26. Ezekiel 10:19 Lit over them from above

Judgment on the Idolaters

Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, “Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand.” And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen(A) who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

Now the glory(B) of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim,(C) where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem(D) and put a mark(E) on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament(F) over all the detestable things that are done in it.(G)

As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity(H) or compassion.(I) Slaughter(J) the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children,(K) but do not touch anyone who has the mark.(L) Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men(M) who were in front of the temple.(N)

Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain.(O) Go!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city. While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown,(P) crying out, “Alas, Sovereign Lord!(Q) Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath(R) on Jerusalem?(S)

He answered me, “The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice.(T) They say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see.’(U) 10 So I will not look on them with pity(V) or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.(W)

11 Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded.”

God’s Glory Departs From the Temple

10 I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne(X) of lapis lazuli(Y) above the vault(Z) that was over the heads of the cherubim.(AA) The Lord said to the man clothed in linen,(AB) “Go in among the wheels(AC) beneath the cherubim. Fill(AD) your hands with burning coals(AE) from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.

Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the Lord(AF) rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord. The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice(AG) of God Almighty[a] when he speaks.(AH)

When the Lord commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels,(AI) from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire(AJ) that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out. (Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.)(AK)

I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like topaz.(AL) 10 As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 11 As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about[b] as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. 12 Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes,(AM) as were their four wheels.(AN) 13 I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.” 14 Each of the cherubim(AO) had four faces:(AP) One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion,(AQ) and the fourth the face of an eagle.(AR)

15 Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures(AS) I had seen by the Kebar River.(AT) 16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side. 17 When the cherubim stood still, they also stood still; and when the cherubim rose, they rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.(AU)

18 Then the glory(AV) of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.(AW) 19 While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them.(AX) They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory(AY) of the God of Israel was above them.

20 These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River,(AZ) and I realized that they were cherubim. 21 Each had four faces(BA) and four wings,(BB) and under their wings was what looked like human hands. 22 Their faces had the same appearance as those I had seen by the Kebar River.(BC) Each one went straight ahead.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 10:5 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  2. Ezekiel 10:11 Or aside