You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.(A)

You adulterous people![a] Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God.(B) Or do you think it’s without reason that the Scripture says: The spirit he made to dwell in us envies intensely?[b](C)

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Footnotes

  1. 4:4 Lit Adulteresses
  2. 4:5 Or Scripture says: He jealously yearns for the spirit he made to live in us?, or Scripture says: The Spirit he made to dwell in us longs jealously?

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

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