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)

¹⁴ Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(A) so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^{[a](B) 15} that everyone who believes^(C) may have eternal life in him.”^[b](D)

¹⁶ For God so loved^(E) the world that he gave^(F) his one and only Son,^(G) that whoever believes^(H) in him shall not perish but have eternal life.^{(I) 17} For God did not send his Son into the world^(J) to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.^{(K) 18} Whoever believes in him is not condemned,^(L) but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.^{(M) 19} This is the verdict: Light^(N) has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.^{(O) 20} Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.^{(P) 21} But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.