Two Kinds of Wisdom

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it^(A) by their good life, by deeds^(B) done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition^(C) in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.^{(D) 15} Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven^(E) but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.^{(F) 16} For where you have envy and selfish ambition,^(G) there you find disorder and every evil practice.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven^(H) is first of all pure; then peace-loving,^(I) considerate, submissive, full of mercy^(J) and good fruit, impartial and sincere.^{(K) 18} Peacemakers^(L) who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.^(M)

Submit Yourselves to God

4 What causes fights and quarrels^(N) among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle^(O) within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill.^(P) 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 When you ask, you do not receive,^(Q) because you ask with wrong motives,^(R) that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

⁴ You adulterous^(S) people,^[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world^(T) means enmity against God?^(U) Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.^{(V) 5} Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us^[b]?^{(W) 6} But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,^(Y) and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you.^(Z) Wash your hands,^(AA) you sinners, and purify your hearts,^(AB) you double-minded.^{(AC) 9} Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.^{(AD) 10} Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.^(AE)

¹¹ Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.^(AF) Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister^[d] or judges them^(AG) speaks against the law^(AH) and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it,^(AI) but sitting in judgment on it. ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge,^(AJ) the one who is able to save and destroy.^(AK) But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?^(AL)

Boasting About Tomorrow

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

Warning to Rich Oppressors

5 Now listen,^(AS) you rich people,^(AT) weep and wail^(AU) because of the misery that is coming on you. ² Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.^{(AV) 3} Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.^{(AW) 4} Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers^(AX) who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries^(AY) of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.^{(AZ) 5} You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves^(BA) in the day of slaughter.^{[e](BB) 6} You have condemned and murdered^(BC) the innocent one,^(BD) who was not opposing you.

Patience in Suffering

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming.^(BE) See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting^(BF) for the autumn and spring rains.^{(BG) 8} You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming^(BH) is near.^{(BI) 9} Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters,^(BJ) or you will be judged. The Judge^(BK) is standing at the door!^(BL)

¹⁰ Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets^(BM) who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ As you know, we count as blessed^(BN) those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance^(BO) and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.^(BP) The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.^(BQ)

¹² Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.^(BR)

The Prayer of Faith

¹³ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.^(BS) Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.^{(BT) 14} Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders^(BU) of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil^(BV) in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith^(BW) will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins^(BX) to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.^(BY) The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.^(BZ)

¹⁷ Elijah was a human being, even as we are.^(CA) He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.^{(CB) 18} Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.^(CC)

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth^(CD) and someone should bring that person back,^{(CE) 20} remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save^(CF) them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.^(CG)

The Council at Jerusalem

15 Certain people^(A) came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers:^(B) “Unless you are circumcised,^(C) according to the custom taught by Moses,^(D) you cannot be saved.” ² This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem^(E) to see the apostles and elders^(F) about this question. ³ The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia^(G) and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted.^(H) This news made all the believers very glad. ⁴ When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.^(I)

⁵ Then some of the believers who belonged to the party^(J) of the Pharisees^(K) stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”^(L)

⁶ The apostles and elders met to consider this question. ⁷ After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.^{(M) 8} God, who knows the heart,^(N) showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them,^(O) just as he did to us. ⁹ He did not discriminate between us and them,^(P) for he purified their hearts by faith.^{(Q) 10} Now then, why do you try to test God^(R) by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke^(S) that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace^(T) of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

¹² The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders^(U) God had done among the Gentiles through them.^{(V) 13} When they finished, James^(W) spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. ¹⁴ Simon^[a] has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles.^{(X) 15} The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

¹⁹ “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. ²⁰ Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols,^(AA) from sexual immorality,^(AB) from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.^{(AC) 21} For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”^(AD)

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

²² Then the apostles and elders,^(AE) with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch^(AF) with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas,^(AG) men who were leaders among the believers. ²³ With them they sent the following letter:

³⁰ So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. ³¹ The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. ³² Judas and Silas,^(AQ) who themselves were prophets,^(AR) said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. ³³ After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace^(AS) to return to those who had sent them. ^{[34] [d] 35} But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached^(AT) the word of the Lord.^(AU)

Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas

³⁶ Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns^(AV) where we preached the word of the Lord^(AW) and see how they are doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark,^(AX) with them, ³⁸ but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them^(AY) in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. ³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas^(AZ) and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.^{(BA) 41} He went through Syria^(BB) and Cilicia,^(BC) strengthening the churches.^(BD)