不要與世俗為友

你們彼此衝突、互相鬥毆的起因是什麼呢?不就是你們身體中不斷交戰的慾望嗎? 你們貪心,得不到就去殺人。你們嫉妒,得不到就爭吵、打鬥。你們得不到是因為你們不向上帝祈求。 你們求也得不到是因為你們動機不純,只求享樂和滿足自己的慾望。 你們這些對主不忠的人啊,難道還不明白與世俗為友就是與上帝爲敵嗎?所以,凡是與世俗為友的,都是上帝的敵人。 聖經上說:「上帝所賜、住在我們心裡的聖靈深願我們完全屬於祂。」你們以為這是空談嗎? 但上帝賜給我們更大的恩典,所以聖經上說:「上帝阻擋驕傲的人,恩待謙卑的人。」

因此,你們要服從上帝,抵擋魔鬼,魔鬼必逃離你們。 你們親近上帝,上帝就必親近你們。有罪的人啊,洗淨你們的手吧!三心二意的人啊,潔淨你們的心吧! 你們要悲傷、憂愁、痛哭,轉歡笑為悲哀,變歡樂為愁苦。 10 你們要在主面前謙卑,祂必擢升你們。

不要論斷

11 弟兄姊妹,不要彼此批評。批評、論斷弟兄姊妹就等於是批評、論斷律法。如果你論斷律法,你就不是遵行律法的人,而是以審判者自居。 12 設立律法和審判人的只有一位,就是能拯救人也能毀滅人的上帝。你是誰,竟然論斷別人呢?

警戒自誇

13 你們有些人說:「今天或是明天,我們要往某某城去,在那裡逗留一年半載,做生意賺錢。」 14 其實你們根本不知道明天會發生什麼事。你們的生命是什麼呢?你們只不過像一陣霧氣,出現片刻,就無影無蹤了。 15 你們只當說:「如果主許可,我們就可以活著,可以做這事或做那事。」 16 現在,你們竟敢傲慢自誇,這實屬邪惡。 17 所以人若知道善而不去行,就是犯罪。

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.

Pride Promotes Strife

Where do [a]wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure (A)that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and [b]war. [c]Yet you do not have because you do not ask. (B)You ask and do not receive, (C)because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. [d]Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that (D)friendship with the world is enmity with God? (E)Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, (F)“The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:

(G)“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”

Humility Cures Worldliness

Therefore submit to God. (H)Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (I)Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (J)Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and (K)purify your hearts, you double-minded. (L)Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 (M)Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Do Not Judge a Brother

11 (N)Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother (O)and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one [e]Lawgiver, (P)who is able to save and to destroy. (Q)Who[f] are you to judge [g]another?

Do Not Boast About Tomorrow

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow [h]we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? (R)It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, (S)“If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. (T)All such boasting is evil.

17 Therefore, (U)to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Footnotes

  1. James 4:1 battles
  2. James 4:2 battle
  3. James 4:2 NU, M omit Yet
  4. James 4:4 NU omits Adulterers and
  5. James 4:12 NU adds and Judge
  6. James 4:12 NU, M But who
  7. James 4:12 NU a neighbor
  8. James 4:13 M let us