¹⁵ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

³ You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling^(A) among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?

¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition^(A) in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.^{(B) 15} Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven^(C) but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.^{(D) 16} For where you have envy and selfish ambition,^(E) there you find disorder and every evil practice.

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

Submit Yourselves to God

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

²⁶ Let us not become conceited,^(A) provoking and envying each other.

²⁰ In fact, you even put up with^(A) anyone who enslaves you^(B) or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face.

²⁰ For I am afraid that when I come^(A) I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be.^(B) I fear that there may be discord,^(C) jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,^(D) slander,^(E) gossip,^(F) arrogance^(G) and disorder.^(H)

⁶ But instead, one brother^(A) takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!^(B)

⁷ The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?^{(C) 8} Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.^(D)